A Ripple in the Pond
by Lady Hanaka
Summary: Sakura Haruno is kidnapped by the Akatsuki, mainly one in particular: Uchiha Itachi. How will her friends take all of this? Will they forget she existed? Or, like a ripple in a pond, will her abduction spiral out and effect others around her? Warning:Rape
1. Prologue

**Book 1: River**

Sakura Haruno, captain of ANBU, head of squad 3, balanced on the balls of her feet on a tree branch. She was a good fifty feet from the ground, but she seemed unperturbed. At first glance, it would be hard to recognize this hardened kunoichi from the young, naïve girl she had once been. An ANBU mask shaped like that of a cat's covered her face. Her newly developed curves showed beneath the traditional ANBU outfit, though that was hidden beneath her black cloak and hood. Her sword, standard for all ANBU, hung across her back as usual. The twisting tattoo that all ANBU wore was placed upon her arm. Her leaf headband was engraved with the leaf symbol of Konoha, as was her mask. The only thing that could distinguish her at all would be the small errant lock that had drifted from the recesses of her cloak. Bright pink. Sakura sometimes cursed her hair. It was very distinguishable after all.

She was eighteen now. After Naruto and Jiraiya had left, claiming they would return with Sasuke, Sakura had fallen into depression and denial. She'd stopped hanging around with her friends Ino, Hinata, and Tenten. She'd begun training in her free time, just to get the thoughts of Naruto and Sasuke out of her mind. What could be happening? Were they fighting Orochimaru? What had he done to Sasuke? Had he already taken over his body? She hadn't wanted to think about those things. And so she had trained.

It had paid off as well. She'd risen in ranks quickly. She smiled slightly at the thought of what Naruto and Sasuke would think when they next saw her. _Weak little kunoichi my ass. _Sakura's jade colored eyes softened and saddened as she let out a small sigh. What if Naruto and Sasuke never came back? She had tried to tell herself that such a thing was possible. Shinobi died on missions all the time. She'd been breaking it to herself slowly over the years; training to become stronger so that perhaps…perhaps when she got the news she would survive. She would be able to continue…not break in two at the thought like she had after Naruto's departure.

"Haruno-san, did I catch you daydreaming?" The slightly sarcastic, mostly monotone voice asked as another ANBU figure landed beside her. Sakura turned with a small smile, though it was lost on the other ANBU from beneath her mask. Long brown locks hung straight and loose down his back. From beneath his monkey shaped ANBU mask, completely white eyes stared at her in amusement. She could almost see his small smirk.

Neji Hyuga was also an ANBU squad leader, of team 2. Like herself and Shikamaru (who was the leader of squad 1) he was one of the most powerful shinobi still in Konoha. It was strange, how two people so opposite could become such close companions. She and Neji had begun a deep friendship after Naruto's departure. He had seen her training and had rudely and gruffly explained all of her faults to her, much to her embarrassment. She'd promptly summoned a slug to land on him (a jutsu she'd learned from her training days with Tsunade) and it had begun. He'd taught her quite a few good jutsus, which hadn't been wasted on her.

His sarcastic teasing was only a sign that he cared, which she learned later on. He always called her by her last name, which was slightly annoying (if not a bit gratifying).

"Did you complete your mission successfully, Neji-san?" Sakura asked.

"Hai. As always." Was Neji's bland retort.

"My, my, a bit cocky aren't we?" Sakura teased. "Perhaps you would like to make a bet on that?"

"Oh?" She could almost sense Neji's smirk as he raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

"I bet that you fail your next mission, Neji-san. If I win, you have to ask Yoko-san out on a date." Yoko was a young Jônin from the Sand village that was stationed as an ambassador for the new Kazekage, Gaara. Sakura already knew she had a crush on Neji.

"Very well. But when I win…" Neji trailed of slightly.

"So sure?"

"Very." Neji answered confidently. "Then YOU—" He was cut off as an eagle faced ANBU appeared in front of them.

"Tsunade has a mission for you Sakura." Shikamaru grinned as he handed her a scroll. Sakura opened it, reading the lines quickly.

"Hai." Sakura turned to them both. "I have to go assemble my team. I'll see you two in a couple of hours, maybe a day. This shouldn't take long. Oh, and don't forget our bet, Neji-san. Perhaps Shikamaru would like to put on a little wager as well!" Then Sakura bowed to them before disappearing.

"What bet?" Shikamaru asked interestedly.

"Hn." Neji just grunted as he swiftly headed back to Konoha, Shikamaru behind him. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but said nothing else until they reached the gate of Konoha, "I see."

Neji lifted off his mask as Shikamaru did the same.

"Oh?" Neji's eyes narrowed. Shikamaru just grinned slightly, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the Hokage's office. Neji's eyes did not widen as he watched Shikamaru's back, only narrowed. What on earth had he been thinking? _Surely he wouldn't have figured out…_? Neji stopped himself as they reached the door. No, that wasn't it. Surely he was just assuming something. Neji tried to make this a confirmation in his mind as they headed down the hallway. That had to have been it.

"Apparently Gaara-dono sent a message to Tsunade-dono a few hours ago. I wasn't there to hear the message, but sent to get you and give Sakura her's. Let's find out, shall we?" Shikamaru grinned as he knocked.

"Come in." Tsunade's voice echoed. Shikamaru cracked open the door and walked inside, a silent and contemplative Neji behind him.


	2. Chapter 1: ANBU Abduction

**Chapter 1 **

**ANBU Abduction**

Sakura stood in front of her squad, a small smile playing on her lips as they looked at her expectantly. Two were childhood friends, Hinata Hyuga and Kiba Inuzuka. Hinata's mask was a fox. Sakura knew she'd chosen it because of Naruto. Kiba's face was a dog. Surprise, surprise. Akamaru, now a good three feet tall, was sitting, though he shifted restlessly. His tail whacked against the ground slightly, making a small thumping sound.

The other three were ones whom she hadn't known during her childhood and Genin days, rookie Jônin who's talents had led them into the ANBU: Shinta, Aarriko, and Sato. All three were young men. The boar, the frog, and the hawk watched her.

"We're going on a simple mission tonight. Scroll retrieval. I have no doubt we'll get home before tomorrow, surely." Sakura knelt down and the other ANBU knelt in a circle around her as she began drawing certain kanji in the dirt. To anyone not familiar with ANBU code, the sentences she wrote would make no sense whatsoever. To the ANBU, however, it was a second language. They all nodded as she erased it with one swipe of her hand. She dusted the dirt off as she stood.

"Let's go." Sakura disappeared, placing her mask upon her face. The others followed quickly, their sandaled feet not making a sound as they sped through the trees like spirits. Even the still air seemed to make more noise than they themselves did.

Sakura nodded at Sato. He did a few rapid hand jutsus, before his figure began shrinking. Soon, a black crow stood before them, cocking his head slightly to one side as Sakura relayed a message to him in the ANBU code. He nodded, just like a human would as he took flight out the window. The mission had been completed successfully, though Sakura hadn't doubted that. Her team was good.

Sakura slid open the door as they headed outside, jumping from tree to tree. Suddenly Akamaru's ears perked up. Sakura turned to Kiba, "What does he hear?"

"Shinobi…" Kiba frowned from beneath his mask. "They are not in smelling distance…wait!" Kiba sniffed. "Four of them, strong. Akamaru tells me their level of chakra is—Akatsuki!" Kiba yelled out as shuriken burst from the trees.

Sakura jumped to the left, along with Hinata. Kiba and Akamaru jumped back while Shinta and Aarriko went to the right. Four shadows leapt through the trees at them. Brilliant crimson clouds upon black made Sakura's eyes narrow.

She immediately recognized one of them: Kisame. His large sword gave him away, as did the blue tinged skin that shown beneath his hat. If he was there…then so was Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke's brother. The murderer of the Uchiha Clan.

"Hinata, Kiba, take Kisame. Aarriko, Shinta, take the other two but _don't_ get too involved. I'll take the Uchiha." Kiba and the others faltered for but a second at Sakura's orders, and then complied. Sakura wondered if splitting them in such a way would be helpful or fatal. Hinata and Kiba had been on a team as Genin. They fought well together. Beside, Akamaru was the same level as another ANBU. Shinta and Aarriko were good fighters, and could surely take the two weaker Akatsuki long enough for Sakura to formulate a plan. She had no intention of fighting them to the death. These were Akatsuki after all, and a small group of ANBU, no matter how strong and talented they were, would not be able to defeat them, especially four of them.

Sakura leapt forward towards the man she knew as Itachi. His red Sharingan, so like Sasuke's and yet so different, shined through the darkness. She knew she couldn't fight him alone for long. It wasn't that she wasn't strong. She knew, however, that he had been trained in far more jutsus than she had, and she didn't want to stay around long enough to see any more than the Sharingan. She threw five shuriken, watching them hit the tree that had been behind Itachi as he disappeared. She felt his presence behind her as she pulled her katana out of its sheath a few inches, stopping the kunai launched at her back. She sheathed the sword as she flipped backwards.

"Hm." Itachi's grunt was amused, as if he thought her funny. Sakura just faked a punch to the left, and then shot her knee up into his midsection. He blocked it with his arm. However, he wasn't prepared for the fact that Sakura had placed a large amount of chakra into the kick, like Tsunade had taught her. The blow was not a normal kick, and Sakura heard the bone split as he was pushed backwards.

Sakura cursed herself for showing him that so soon. She wouldn't have another chance like that again. She should have waited until it could have been a killing blow. She needed to get her team out of there. Hinata was throwing kunai at Kisame, afraid to get close enough to Kisame's chakra draining sword to use her juken. Kiba had out his wakizashi, twirling them expertly in his hands, blocking the sword. He was being pushed back, however, and sweat poured down his mask, soaking his collar. Akamaru was dodging Kisame's shuriken and kunai as he lumbered forward. At the moment he lunged, grabbing Kisame's left arm in his mouth as Kisame raised his sword high to crash down upon Kiba. Akamaru's driving force snapped Kisame's arm backwards with a sickening cracking sound.

Kisame let out a loud growl as he threw Akamaru off, sending him flying into a tree. Hinata had taken this split second of distraction to move in. One juken hit to the lungs was enough. He was having trouble breathing. His sword arm looked useless. He switched the weapon to his right arm, however, continuing to push Kiba back as Hinata jumped out of the way and sent another shower of Senbon.

Aarriko was cut on his arm, which was bleeding profusely. His metal tonfa smashed and clashed with kodachi. Their swirling dance was quite beautiful, though Sakura didn't have much time admire it. She gave a quick glance at Shinta and immediately noticed trouble.

Shinta was dodging and parrying attacks, clearly on the defensive. Sakura would have sworn that the other Akatsuki shouldn't have been able to defeat him especially after so short a time, or be so quick; no matter the title or robes he wore. Besides, Shinta's Genjutsu was wonderful. His illusionary mind tricks should have had this man clutching his head, or stumbling around blindly. Suddenly a clay bird flew through the air at Shinta. Sakura's heart almost stopped.

Clay birds were the specialty of Deidara, a high member of the Akatsuki. _Damn! He was hiding his chakra so well I didn't even see it!_ Sakura continued blocking Itachi's oncoming attack as she turned to Shinta. "Shinta! MOVE!"

She tried to yell above the battle, but she wondered if perhaps he didn't hear her. Or perhaps he just couldn't get away. The bird hit him and exploded. The blow sent dust and dirt through the air.

Sakura heard someone blown into a tree. She guessed it was Aarriko, since he was closest besides Shinta to the blow.

Sakura crouched, muscles in her legs tensing as she made to jumped towards Shinta. Perhaps the blow hadn't killed him. If she could heal him quickly they could make a run for it—

A hand grabbed Sakura's wrist and snapped her around. Sakura cursed herself for her foolishness as she saw Itachi. Jade met crimson in a cataclysmic moment as the dust settled. Deidara and Kisame had jumped back from the battle, ready to start again at any moment.

Aarriko was hurt badly.

Hinata had a few scratches, Kiba a broken nose and perhaps wrist. Akamaru was limping slightly.

Sakura had no idea where Shinta was. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her that the red stain on the ground beneath them was her squad mate.

Suddenly the Sharingan eyes began swirling and changing. Sakura knew what was coming, but the hypnotizing eye already held her, making it impossible to close her eyes. She knew all about the Uchiha bloodline from Kakashi and Sasuke, and she knew when she was defeated. She snapped her wrist in an effort to get away, feeling the sharp pain shoot up her arm. Suddenly a small bit of willpower entered her as she yelled out with all her strength, "All of you, RUN!" That's when the Mangekou Sharingan activated itself.

Sakura had no idea if her squad mates heeded her order. The world went black, the only light coming from the crimson spirals in Itachi's eyes. Most of the sounds of the outside world became completely unintelligible. There was no more battle around her. She heard Deidara and Kisame's voices softly, though she couldn't understand the words.

Then it began. Flashes of Sasuke filled her mind.

_"Ne, Sasuke? Did you actually think you could kill me? How absurd. If Sarutobi couldn't do it, what makes you think you could actually come close?" Orochimaru was sneering as he kicked Sasuke, sending him rolling on the ground. _

"_I'm going to kill them all, just to show you that you can't stand a chance. Of course, you probably won't be alive to see it, not in that sense. After all, I will have the Sharingan by that time."_

_Sasuke let out a strangled croak as he tried to stand, and Orochimaru picked him up by the collar of his shirt. "I'll be sure to kill that darling little kunoichi you're so infatuated with first. The pink haired one, what was her name?" _

_Then he ripped out Sasuke's windpipe. Suddenly it was as if Sakura were Sasuke, as the pain seared in her own throat as well. She tried to breathe in a raspy breath, but she couldn't hear anything but a slight wheeze as pain shot through her entire body. Blood trickled down her chest as her throat oozed. The pain…the pain wasn't what hurt the most. It was the fact that it was Sasuke. Sakura had learned to deal with pain long before this._

_She saw Sasuke fall, and she screamed for him to get up. She screamed and yelled from a silent throat as blood continued to gush from her wound. She landed on her knees, gasping for breath as her eyes dimmed, when suddenly a thought filled her mind. She had braced herself for Sasuke's death for years now. This was just the inevitable coming true. She had known all along…perhaps it was the truth. It if was, she'd have to continue fighting. _

Itachi Uchiha smirked as he saw the shinobi fall silent when the Mangekou activated. Such a strong ANBU…even this shinobi couldn't save himself from Itachi's bloodline trait. The other ANBU had faltered, trying to decide whether or not to leave, when a young female had taken over, judging by her voice. She'd told them to retreat, grabbing the almost unconscious, bleeding ANBU who had killed Gangi.

Kisame had told Deidara to not go after them as they had both turned to watch Itachi torture the ANBU captain.

Though it had only been about two seconds, he knew to the ANBU that it was lasting hours.

Suddenly, the Mangekou broke.

Itachi blinked in surprise as the young ANBU gripped his hand, nails digging into his flesh. A searing pain shot through his arm as the ANBU sent chakra through his blood. Itachi growled out in anger and frustration as it hit his throat—and for but a second, his Mangekou turned on him. It flashed and was gone, but Itachi had to lift one hand to rub his throat to make sure it was fine. The ANBU had fallen limp after the last attack.

Itachi leaned down; his eyes back to their dim, midnight blue. Kisame and Deidara both stared.

"That ANBU…he didn't…yeah?" Deidara began, looking at the crumpled form in front of them.

Itachi lifted the mask from the ANBU's face and started. It was a woman, for one. He could tell immediately, without seeing the rest of her. Full lips, long lashes…and bright pink hair shoulder length. He kept thinking he had seen her somewhere, when he remembered. Sasuke's teammate: Sakura Haruno. The weak link in the team. Now an ANBU captain?

Itachi stared as if unsure as to believe it himself. Of course, his face showed none of this. Kisame and Deidara looked at the kunoichi in awe. Itachi picked her up in his arms, his face unreadable. "Let's go."

Kisame and Deidara exchanged looks as they nodded and Itachi lead them towards their home.

* * *

Naruto grinned brightly as he skipped in front of Sasuke and Jiraiya. He looked back. Jiraiya was oblivious, Sasuke was brooding. Naruto rolled his eyes. "Feels good to be back in Konoha don't it?"

"Hn."

"The first thing I'm gonna do is get me a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen! Yeah!" Naruto sighed as he began drooling.

"Good for you, baka." Sasuke snapped back. The gate loomed in front of them. Jiraiya clapped a hand on both of their shoulders.

"The first thing I'M gonna do is—"

"Ugh! Don't tell me!" Naruto growled as he stuffed his fingers in his ears. "You're such a pervert Ero-sennin!"

Sasuke just shook his head in annoyance as the gate opened.

Apparently a sentry had announced their arrival. Maito Gai, Kakashi Hatake, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, and Iruka waved at them. Naruto lunged at Iruka, throwing him onto the ground. The others laughed heartily at the sight. Tsunade and Shizune stepped forward, smiling.

"Welcome back, Naruto, Jiraiya-san…Sasuke…"

Sasuke and Jiraiya bowed, but Naruto just grinned, "Hey Tsunade!"

"What a loser. He can't even call the Hokage by her title. Che." A voice called out. Naruto turned to the last people who he hadn't noticed. Eight ANBU stood before them. One of them had yelled that out—and Naruto would have recognized the voice anywhere.

"Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru laughed as he and the other ANBU took off their masks. Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, Ino, Choji, and Shino stood before him, their faces mischievous. One of them he did not recognize.

"You're all ANBU now?" Naruto whined. "How am I gonna catch up?" Suddenly he looked around, knowing someone was definitely missing—maybe even a few people. "Where are Hinata, Kiba…and Sakura!?" He looked around deftly. Sasuke had already searched for the pink haired kunoichi, his heart sinking when he'd noticed her not present.

Shikamaru sighed, getting ready to speak when there was a crashing sound through the trees.

Three ANBU and a large dog appeared. One ANBU was propping up the second, while a limping dog was carrying the third. Naruto immediately recognized the dog as a bigger version of Akamaru. The ANBU took off their masks as the others rushed forward. Hinata and Kiba slumped to the ground.

Tsunade reached Aarriko, who was barely breathing. "What happened?" She demanded as she immediately began healing him. Ino and Shizune instantaneously began looking over Kiba, Hinata, and Akamaru.

They looked up when they saw Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata gave a happy, relieved smile before turning back to Tsunade, her gaze darkening. "We were ambushed." She whispered.

"By who?" Neji asked sharply, realizing immediately that two people were missing. Surely it wasn't…?

"Akatsuki." Kiba growled out.

"WHAT?" Everyone collectively yelled out.

"Four of them ambushed us. Kisame, Deidara, a stranger…and Itachi." Hinata whispered. Sasuke stiffened at the sound of his brother's name. His eyes narrowed.

"Deidara killed Shinta." Kiba answered. "Hinata and I fought off Kisame. Aarriko managed to kill the last one before the blast of Deidara's bomb got him fully in the stomach."

"…And Sakura?" Tsunade asked softly. Both Naruto and Sasuke looked up. Sakura? What would she be doing on an ANBU mission?

Kiba and Hinata remained deadly silent. Neji and Lee both felt their stomachs plummet. Sasuke and Naruto were in too much of a shock.

Hinata finally answered between sniffles. "Third ANBU captain Sakura Haruno…was either killed or taken by Itachi Uchiha." She then burst into tears.

Sasuke just stared. No…surely this was some kind of mistake. His brother taking Sakura? Why on earth was she there in the first place!?!?

"You didn't see her actually being killed?" Neji asked sharply.

"No." Kiba answered gruffly. "She tried to go help Shinta and heal him before he died, but Itachi managed to grab her and use…use his Mangekou Sharingan."

Sasuke looked up. No…Sakura wasn't strong enough to endure that. She wasn't strong enough to fight it…She'd die.

Naruto looked up at them. "What are you talking about? Sakura can't be ANBU! Sakura's not that strong. I mean…" Naruto looked down at his shaking hands before looking back up at them. "Why would she want to become so strong? She's always…" _She's always had me, Kakashi, and Sasuke to protect her._

Neji stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe she just got tired of watching your backs."

Sasuke and Naruto looked up. She'd told them that before…that she'd always had to watch them from behind like a weakling. They'd told her that her intelligence had made up for it. Now…had she thought otherwise? And why on earth had she told Hyuga Neji about it, above all other people?

Sasuke just couldn't believe it. When was it that she stopped watching the rest of her team and went ahead of them at a run? Surely this was some horrible joke played on him and Naruto for their arrival. A crude and horrible joke. Surely…surely _his_ Sakura couldn't be in the hands of Itachi…

Tsunade watched as Lee and Neji exchanged looks. "Both of you stop it right there. You're not going anywhere at the moment."

Neji just growled deep in his throat as Lee looked down at the ground, clenching his fists.

Lee answered back earnestly, "Surely we have to go find her? You know how important she is to Konoha. If the villagers found out they'd panic. You know how important she is…to us." He stopped himself from saying more.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. So, the look he'd seen in both Neji and Lee's eyes…He'd known Lee loved Sakura, but Neji? It just didn't seem possible. Besides…she was his. _What about your brother? She could be dead by now._ An inner demon laughed at him.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to send out an ANBU search team," Tsunade said. "I am. First off, I'm sending certain members of the three main ANBU squads—all of _you_. Hinata and Kiba are healed enough to go. Sato, you are going to be staying—I don't want any argument!" She snapped as she saw him open his mouth. He remained silent. "Then Kakashi, and Gai will go as well. Iruka, Kurenai, Asuma, we're going to need to elevate the shinobi guard status. I'll need you to bring back any of the Jônin that are on missions in the area. With these ones gone, we can't risk an attack by anyone." Kurenai, Iruka, and Asuma nodded as they disappeared.

Suddenly Naruto stepped forward. "I'm coming too! I'm getting Sakura-chan back and you can't stop me!"

"You'll only fall behind." Neji sneered.

"No." Tsunade shook her head at Neji. "They'll go. Neji and Shikamaru, you two are in charge. But remember, Kakashi and Gai have more experience. If you don't know what to do in a situation, ask them." Neji and Shikamaru nodded.

They were all dressed in their ANBU outfits—even Kakashi and Gai. Gai wasn't an ANBU, however, and Kakashi had retired, or so Naruto and Sasuke believed. Suddenly two ANBU suits were thrown at them. Naruto caught his in a daze, while Sasuke quickly placed the mask on.

"Get ready, you two. You will be impersonating ANBU, so be careful. This way, no one will interrupt your mission. Be sure to send a message bird every two days," Tsunade announced.

"Hai, Hokage-dono." They all bowed. Sasuke and Naruto had left to change. They came back in their own outfits, feeling strange. After all, they weren't used to it. Neji just nodded as he turned to Hinata and Kiba.

"Lead us to where you fought the Akatsuki."

* * *

Itachi stared down at Sakura Haruno as he placed her on his bed. He'd taken off the long black cloak of the ANBU, seeing her dressed in the traditional outfit. He'd already taken off his own Akatsuki robe. Deidara and Kisame had left him alone with the kunoichi to find a healer for their own wounds. He sat down on the edge of the bed, watching her. Her breathing was light, almost as if she were peacefully sleeping. The metal chest plate of the ANBU rose and fell with her movements.

Itachi took it off, along with her shoulder guards, sandals, armbands, and leg bands. He'd already stripped off all of her weapons. That had taken quite a while. Her mask was already placed atop her neatly folded robe. He watched her intently. She still wore her gloves and silky black pants, as well as a mesh top.

She'd indeed grown more beautiful then the last time he'd seen her. She'd been younger then, thirteen perhaps? Now she had grown into womanhood. He knew this, judging by the prominent, welcoming bulge at the front of her shirt. Her hair was still short, though a bit longer than before. He slowly took off her gloves to look at her wrist, but ended up staring at her hands. Her knuckles were covered in scars, as were her palms. _The pride and glory of a shinobi_, Itachi thought darkly. He'd wondered when she'd gotten them. She'd definitely not had them the last time they had met.

His arm still hurt from the fracture she'd given him. It had been a long time since someone had caught him off guard. He didn't like it. Neither did he like the fact that she had broken his Mangekou. No one had ever done so before. He wanted to know how and why. Why her…of all people? She had been an excellent fighter. His arm was proof of that. If she had become strong enough to hold her own against one of the greatest Akatsuki, then where were his brother and the Kyuubi in power?

Itachi lifted a hand to trace the delicate scar on her nose. It wasn't prominent, barely visible even to the naked eye. But he'd seen it. With his Sharingan he saw all of her old wounds. It fit her. It made her look stronger…more mysterious. Her eyes fluttered, but did not open. Itachi was thankful he'd had Kisame drain her chakra with his sword. There'd been so much, however, that he'd had to let most of it go. When had she gotten so strong?

He traced the curve of her jaw, down her neck. He stopped at the mesh top. His eyes narrowed darkly as a small smile curved his lips. He wondered how many more stories she had cut into her body. Surely there were quite a few. He slipped off her shirt and had to stop for a second, the scars forgotten. Her chest and stomach were flawless. Her black bra held the two most perfect breasts he'd ever seen. (And he'd seen quite a few). Neither too big nor too small. Her stomach was chiseled with muscle, but only to the point of leanness. She still had the womanly, smooth look, not hard abs or anything of the sort. His hand flitted down her collarbone, between her breasts, massaging her stomach. As his hand went lower, he stopped at her pant line. He'd unknowingly cut the drawstring from her pants in his hurry to discard her cloak. They hung loosely around her thighs. He hooked his finger in one end and slid them off effortlessly. He marveled at the shape of her legs. Once more, there was not too much muscle showing, though he knew it existed. Supple thighs, small elegant feet, dainty ankles. He stared at her for a moment, his gaze dark. _So this is the woman my brother loved…how interesting._

Suddenly a thought came to mind as he touched her lips softly. A dark smile. Sasuke would not be the first to truly love her. **He** would claim that right. Itachi bent his lips closer. He wondered how his cherry blossom tasted.

Itachi skimmed her lips, flicking his tongue over the bottom one. Sakura shifted in her sleep. She blinked slightly, opening her eyes to small slits, _Sasuke-kun?_ That was her first thought when she saw the Sharingan. His face looked similar, older then Sasuke's. Of course, Sasuke would have grown. But he was different. He just watched her, a sly smile curving at his lips. A wicked smile, if she had to give it a description.

Suddenly Sakura's eyes widened as she realized whose lips had met hers. Whose hands were caressing her. Itachi Uchiha. The memories from before flooded her mind. Shinta was dead. Hinata, Kiba, and Aarriko could be dead as well. The Akatsuki…Itachi…the Mangekou.

"Let go." Sakura finally managed to growl as she tried to struggle free. She felt somewhat weak at the moment, when she finally realized that her chakra reserves were gone. _No._ Her eyes widened in horror as she pulled at her hands. She felt the rough, coarse feeling of rope.

"I couldn't have you fighting me, now could I cherry blossom?"

Sakura kicked out with her legs, but soon found herself pinned down on the bed by Itachi. "Let go!" Sakura yelled out as she writhed beneath him. Itachi tried not to let her see how it affected him. He could feel the warmth radiating from her through his thin shirt. Delicious heat. He wondered if her lips tasted as good. He decided to find out, claiming her mouth with his.

Sakura let out a small gasp, then regretted it as his tongue swept passed her lips. She tried to turn her head but he held her still as he crushed her lips against his, his tongue twining with her own inside her mouth. Sakura pulled on the steel handcuffs that held her wrists, feeling them begin to break the skin with her antics. Itachi's hands grazed her skin lightly as he continued. She'd almost expected him to feel cold, like a true killer. Yet they were warm. The only thing going through Sakura's mind at the moment was that it was all wrong. Where was Sasuke? This couldn't be right. NO! For the first time since Naruto and Sasuke had left, Sakura needed help. _Please…Sasuke-kun…Neji-kun…Lee-kun…Naruto-kun…help me!_

He finally stopped kissing her lips as he recovered his breath, licking her neck. Sakura breathed in deeply, and Itachi groaned softly as her breasts grazed his chest though the v neckline of his shirt. One hand played with her hair as the other slowly began undoing her bra.

"No…" Sakura whispered fervently. "Please stop it." She racked her brain for any kind of plan. Anything. She had no chakra left, and her hands were tied. She couldn't use her taijutsu in this position. She was completely helpless.

And at the mercy of a killer.

"Hm." Itachi whispered huskily in her ear as he nipped the lobe. "I like that. Perhaps if you beg some more I'll listen."

If only she could give him a well aimed knee in the balls. Then sex would be the last thing on his mind. But he had her knees pinned and spread with his own in between, so she could hardly think of a way of doing what she wanted to. Before she knew what was happening his mouth was on her breast, ringing the nipple with his tongue. Sakura gasped, biting her lip as a tear escaped her eye. No, no, no…

His tongue lavished her other breast before making its way down her stomach. Sakura only then noticed that Itachi had somehow rid them both of any of their clothes. Itachi stopped licking as he looked down at her, looming above her threateningly.

"Stop…" Sakura whispered, as she knew what he was going to do. No…he couldn't. That was hers to give. She was not his. She would never give herself willingly to this man. She would never let a man take her like that…NO!

"A virgin…my, my…" Itachi laughed darkly. "So I'll be your first. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, cherry blossom. I certainly will." Then he entered her. The jolt of pain between her thighs caused her to cry out. Her hands pulled sharply at the handcuffs.

He continued thrusting inside of her, taking even more pleasure from her screams as tears rushed down her cheeks. She tried to get out from under him, jerking her body. This only let him slip further inside as she whimpered, eyes clenched shut. It was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. Blood trickled down her arms. She'd cut her wrists open on the handcuffs in an attempt to break free. How foolish of her. Itachi watched her eyes slowly close as darkness overcame her. She was still weak from Kisame's draining, after all. Itachi smirked as she fell unconscious.

"My sweet cherry blossom, the fun has only just begun."

* * *

Kakashi stood beside Naruto and Sasuke, waiting for them to catch their breath. They'd been traveling non-stop through the forest for hours. Now…now they were at the place the attack had happened. Sasuke and Naruto felt a bit fatigued, though the others looked like they could have gone on forever. Of course, they were ANBU. Kakashi had decided to stay with them and guard their rear as Neji and the others scouted the scene.

"Kakashi-sensei…when did Sakura-chan become so strong?" Naruto asked as he flopped down onto the ground. "I mean, what happened after I left?" Sasuke just turned to listen as Kakashi sighed.

"I think for a while Sakura couldn't think of anything to live for." Kakashi answered as he fiddled with his mask. "She hadn't decided to train to become stronger than both of you in the beginning. She just wanted to become strong enough to stop the pain."

"The pain of what?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"The pain of finding out that you and Sasuke were dead."

Sasuke turned to look at his former sensei from where he scanned the trees. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, they'd been gone for years…especially him. And Orochimaru had been ready to use his special jutsu on him and take over his body. If Naruto and Jiraiya hadn't arrived… Sasuke cut himself off from thinking any more. It didn't matter. All that mattered was he was back now and he was going to make his brother pay for taking Sakura.

Kakashi watched both of them frown and he let out another sad sigh. He wondered how well they were taking it. He wasn't doing well at all. After all, he'd thought that finally he was going to have all three of his students back. The prodigious Sasuke, knucklehead Naruto…and his cherry blossom Sakura. Now the two boys had come back only to have Sakura taken away from him. After Naruto's departure, Kakashi and Sakura had leaned on each other for support. He'd finally realized what it must have been like for his teacher Yondaime. After the death of Rin and Obito…and Kakashi's abrupt departure. _He_ wouldn't have been able to survive without Sakura there to cheer him.

_Kakashi stood in front of the shrine, his gaze on the names of his old comrades. Rin…he didn't think he'd be able to take it if he had to put any more names on that stone. Naruto and Sasuke…the idiot and the genius. He let out a small laugh at that. Suddenly there was a presence beside him as someone took his hand in their's. Kakashi looked down to see Sakura. _

_She was fifteen, already finished with her training with Tsunade. She wore a soft blue kimono, her hair up in a bun. Tears ran down her face as she looked down at the stone. Kakashi knew exactly what she was thinking. _

"_Kakashi-sensei?" _

"_Hai, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi turned to look at her, trying to find some of his old cheerfulness to boost her spirits. _

"_Their names should go right there…beneath Rin-san's." She bent down next to the shrine, touching it with her fingers. The smooth stone felt cold as she bit her lip. _

"_Don't talk like that Sakura." Kakashi said, surprise in his voice. He hadn't thought Sakura would think something like that. She couldn't be so depressed, could she? After all, she was the happy one. The one with the brilliant smile. Where was that smile?_

_Sakura's fingers curled into a fist as she began crying. "Don't deny it Kakashi-sensei! I've waited so long…they're never coming back! We'll never be team seven again…" She pressed her forehead against the stone, her tears running down her cheeks and onto the black onyx. Kakashi placed a hand on her shaking shoulder. _

"_They're coming back Sakura." Kakashi said gently. "They'll come back just for you."_

"_I can't hope anymore, Kakashi-sensei. It hurts too much…" She lifted a hand to her heart and mouthed a few words. Kakashi caught them 'it hurts right here'. Sakura was a Chûnin now, and had surpassed some of the other Chûnin in power. _

_She spent most of her time at the hospital, helping Tsunade heal, or she was training in the woods with Rock Lee or Neji Hyuga. Sometimes she would even beat Shikamaru in chess, though rarely. He was still the reigning champion. _

"_You have to hold onto hope, Sakura-chan. It's what Naruto did. Naruto would want you to continue hoping. It was his strength, let it be yours."_

_Sakura smiled slightly as she nodded, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "…Hai Kakashi-sensei."_

_Sakura pulled a picture frame out of her sleeve. She placed it neatly on the rock, leaning it against it as she stood. "I have to become stronger for them…and for me." Then she began walking away with a soft goodbye to Kakashi. Kakashi just looked down at the picture. _

_It was of Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto, their headbands tilted to look just like their sensei's. Naruto was grinning from ear to ear, Sasuke giving his amused scowl. And Sakura…Sakura had on her one of a kind smile. _

_Kakashi sighed as he turned to walk back to his home. He hadn't seen that smile in many years. _

Kakashi blinked as Hinata broke him from his reverie. She looked at the remaining members of the group with a small sparkle of life in her eyes. "Neji-san wants you to come quickly!"

Kakashi nodded as all three of them followed her to where the other stood.

Neji was standing at the base of one of the trees. Akamaru was sniffing a pool of dried blood that had collected in a small crater.

Kiba bent down next to him, nodding as Akamaru woofed. "It's Shinta's. There's no sign of Sakura's blood anywhere."

Ino let out a sigh. "That means she's still alive!"

"She could be." Kakashi murmured.

"Of course Sakura-chan is alive! How could you say something like that, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"How many people do you know who survive the Mangekou Sharingan?" Shino whispered.

Sasuke's eyes just narrowed. "I did." But could Sakura?

Akamaru let out a small yip and Kiba whooped. "Akamaru's got a trail! Let's go!" Akamaru rushed ahead, Kiba and the others following.

Neji jumped from tree branch to tree branch, mulling. He wasn't about to accept that Sakura was dead. Fate could not do that to him. She was strong now. The Mangekou couldn't kill her. He had helped train her himself, before she had surpassed the need for his guidance.

But she was in the middle of a group of Akatsuki, three of the strongest if their guesses were correct, perhaps more. Could she stand against them long enough for Neji and the others to find her? Neji only hoped she could. After all the jutsus she had learned, certainly one of them could save her.

"_I bet that you fail your next mission, Neji-san."_

_Sakura_, Neji whispered to himself fervently, _I **will** win this bet. I will not fail this mission._

**(AN: Wow. I liked that chapter, didn't you? I know it's mean to have Itachi rape Sakura, but let's face it; does he look like a nice guy? No. Not really. Everything in my story happens for a reason. It isn't all just put in there because I suddenly had an urge to have Sakura raped or something.)**


	3. Chapter 2: Unrequitted Innocence

**Chapter 2**

**Unrequited Innocence**

Sakura didn't remember when she awoke. All she did remember was that it happened quickly, not like usual. There was no drowsy contentment or a lazy stretch. Sakura's eyes shot open, looking at the ceiling in surprise. She sat up instantly, scanning the room. Where on earth was she? This wasn't her room…Sakura looked down at her hands. Small bandages were wrapped around her wrists. A dull ache began throbbing between her thighs—and it all came back in a rush.

Tears filled her eyes as her hands began shaking. No, no, no…that couldn't be right. Yet everything in her body told her so. She immediately healed the bruising in her womanhood and the pain left, but the feeling of emptiness remained. She could not fix what had been undone. She couldn't replace what had been taken.

"Good morning cherry blossom."

Itachi waited for her response. It was immediate. She whirled around on the bed, eyes wide. When she spotted him next to her, dressed in his Akatsuki robes and standing, she flinched involuntarily. Her jade colored eyes still held the innocence she had the night before. _Still innocent…_The thought of it made her even more desirable. As did the little picture he had of her before she had turned. When she had sat up the blanket had pooled around her waist. Her hair had hung off her shoulders, hiding her face from view. She had looked so strange and out of place in that moment. And then she had turned to him with her eyes filled with tears and pain. For a moment it had shocked him. Then, a thought had come to mind. _One day she will warm up to me._

It did not look like anytime soon. Yet, that didn't matter to him at the moment. He already felt desire churning in his stomach, but he tried to push it aside. He had a mission to execute, after all. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his grip tight so she could not turn away as she immediately tried to do. A smirk tugged at his lips.

"And how does my cherry blossom feel this morning?"

Sakura just stared at him for a moment. Then her eyes hardened slightly. "Get away from me!" She jumped off of the bed, getting into a fighting stance immediately. It looked like second nature to her. However, her chakra was still very low. She'd already used some of it to heal herself. She didn't have that much left in reserve. Itachi was immediately behind her, pushing her down onto the bed face first, her arms twisted behind her back.

"You had better hold still, cherry blossom, or I will have to hurt you."

He chuckled darkly. "I don't believe you'd like that, would you?" He buried his face in her hair, reveling in the softness of it. Suddenly he heard her voice, choked with tears and anger.

"How _could_ you?"

For a moment he hesitated, the sound almost painful. Then the feeling of her naked body against his returned, as well as the image of her lying beneath him. He put his lips to her ear, whispering in his silky voice. "Perhaps, my dear, you should have tried not to look so good to eat." Then he disappeared out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

For a second, Sakura remained frozen where she was as the tears drifted onto the silken sheets. Then she rolled over into a sitting position, rubbing her sore wrists. Angrier, wet tears fell onto the bandages. Sakura cursed herself and them. She hadn't cried in years. She hadn't felt this weak for years. She had never felt so helpless. Even before, when she had been a young Genin, she had always known Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi would protect her. They were nowhere in sight now.

_And look what happened. Will Sasuke even want you now, soiled as you are?_ Her inner voice whispered malevolently. Sakura closed her eyes as a wave of pain hit her. It wasn't physical, but it hurt her spirit so badly it could have been.

_Sasuke might not even be alive. What good will crying over this do you? What's done is done. You are a shinobi, start acting like one!_ Her logical, ANBU voice reprimanded her. She hardened her resolve as she let the words seep in. She needed to stop thinking about those things…

Sakura sat up from the bed, looking around the room. It was very spacious, with bookshelves lining two walls. The bed sat in the middle of the room. A large seat window was opposite the bed, the curtains drawn protectively around it, shielding her from anyone's view. In the other corner was a door. Sakura padded over to it softly, pushing it open after not sensing any traps or seals. It was a bathroom. Sakura stumbled inside, closing the door behind her. She turned on the water, stepping inside immediately.

Sakura closed her eyes as she let the water run over her. The small amount of dried blood between her thighs swirled down the drain and disappeared as quickly as it had come. Her hot tears mingled with the water as she bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. Her legs gave way as she sat down in the shower, shoulders heaving as she sobbed. She let the water rush over her body, across all the small scars along her back and shoulders, stories of her days in ANBU.

She clawed her fingers into her arms as she lathered soap up and down her body. She rubbed her body raw as tears continued to fall down her cheeks in torrents. She watched as the white suds of the soap swirled around the drain, disappearing into its shadows. Oh how she wished she could do such a thing. But she couldn't make herself disappear.

No matter how much she tried to wash it away, the feeling of his hands and mouth on her body would not vanish.

* * *

Sakura sat on the windowsill, calmly untangling her hair with a brush she had found on the side table. She'd already eaten from the bowl of fruit that had been left for her, she guessed by Itachi. She hadn't felt anyone enter the room while she had been in the shower. She looked out at the courtyard. A bamboo fountain and koi pond stood in the middle, surrounding a large bonsai tree. It must have been thousands of years old, judging by its height.

There was mainly grass around it, so tempting that Sakura wished she could walk on it. However, she felt the chakra bond that held her inside of the room. She had already tried to unseal it once. It had led to her crumpled on the floor gasping in pain. She only hoped that it had hurt Itachi to hold it in place, wherever he had been.

She wasn't stupid enough to try that again. Instead, she'd looked around his room, filing through scrolls. Most of them were ones she had seen before. She'd read a few that she hadn't, committing them to memory. They could come in handy the day she went home to the Leaf Village and her Hokage. She stopped brushing with a sigh, lowering her head. What if she never saw Konoha again?

She gripped the edge of the brush tightly in her hand. _Stop thinking such foolish thoughts, Sakura-chan. Get yourself together!_ She relaxed as she continued brushing. Though on the outside she remained serene, inwardly she was devising a plan of escape.

* * *

Sasuke woke up in the morning drenched in sweat. His chest heaved as he tried to calm his breathing. All around him the others were stirring. Naruto yawned as he turned over. It took a moment for Sasuke to realize his eyes had gone immediately to their Sharingan state. He blinked, letting them return to their normal blue.

"Come on Sasuke! The trail leads to that village!" Naruto pointed far into the distance. "We're going to get Sakura-chan back!" He grinned before leaping into the trees.

Shikamaru sighed, "So troublesome…" Then he motioned for the others to follow as Neji nodded, disappearing.

Kakashi laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, making him look up. Kakashi just smiled thoughtfully at him, "Don't worry about her. I'm sure she's alive."

Sasuke just nodded shortly as Kakashi and he hurried to catch up with the others. A disturbing thought came to mind that he tried to make disappear. Was it so wrong to have wanted to switch places with his brother?

When they came upon the village, Naruto immediately realized something was wrong. It was smoking and the metallic tang of blood hung in the air. Storm clouds were already on their way, but Naruto doubted even a large fall of rain could wipe away the smell of blood and death from this place.

"Back, Naruto." Shikamaru ordered, knowing just what Naruto was thinking, and knowing immediately that Naruto would rush headlong into danger like he always used to.

"Hinata, the eastern side." Neji ordered as he activated his Byakugan.

"Hai." Hinata whispered as she activated her own, looking through the buildings.

Naruto fiddled on the tree branch. He hated sitting still.

Suddenly Hinata looked up, "Fighting a mile in! Akatsuki!"

"Let's—" Shikamaru began, but Neji, Lee, Sasuke, and Naruto had already rushed forward towards Hinata's directions.

"Damn." Shikamaru cursed, "Come on," he ordered the others as he jumped onto the nearest rooftop after them, cursing Neji for letting his feelings for Sakura get in the way. If Neji failed this mission because he was letting his emotions get in the way, he would never forgive himself. And neither would Shikamaru.

The moment he came upon the scene, Neji stopped. About five men stood in front of a group of children and women, trying to shield them from the two Akatsuki members who were attacking. A mountain of corpses already littered the ground.

Naruto immediately lunged for the first one, who was stooped over like a hunchback. He sunk into the ground the moment Naruto hit it. The impact of Naruto's hit made a large crater where the man had once stood. He reappeared out of another part of the ground.

Shikamaru arrived, while Neji assessed the situation. Suddenly Sasuke lunged forward, recognizing the other Akatsuki. Itachi.

"Lee, Tenten, with me. Ino, Choji, Shino, Kiba, Kakashi, get those people out of there. Gai, Hinata, go with Shikamaru to help Naruto. Now." Neji ordered as he lunged at Itachi. If Itachi had done anything to Sakura…he would regret it. The others nodded, following their orders.

Kiba was getting the children onto Akamaru's back, while Ino, Choji, and Shino began grabbing the others in their arms that couldn't walk, and leading the ones who could to safety, their voices ringing out through the din of battle. Kakashi's soothing voice was calming down some of the more hysterical villagers.

Gai's taijutsu had Zetsu on the defensive, blocking from the ground.

Naruto's shadow clones were working in an attack pattern with Gai, while Hinata looked for an opening.

Shikamaru was currently looking over the situation, trying to find a good shadow of Zetsu's. Since he mostly stayed underground, however, it was pretty hopeless.

Itachi kicked Sasuke in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall.

Lee was suddenly beneath him, kicking upward in an attempt to begin his lotus. Up in the air, as Lee came up behind Itachi, Itachi was suddenly behind _him_, grabbing Lee's loose bandages that usually were wrapped around his arms. He swung Lee around with them, crashing him into a market stall and across the ground. The force sent up clouds of dust.

Neji heard the screams of the people in the background as they watched from a distance.

Tenten threw a kunai, shredding the bandages on Lee's arms and releasing him from Itachi's grasp. Lee rolled to a stop, shakily standing as he wiped the blood from his lower lip.

Neji lunged forward at the opening, seeing Sasuke get up and do the same. Kick, punch, jab, kick, swipe, lunge, parry, block. They began a rapid, graceful dance of attacks against Itachi, their bodies moving in unison as they did so. Itachi dodged and blocked them all. Sasuke finally hit his arm and he blanched.

Neji's eyes narrowed. The kick itself couldn't have hurt that bad.

Itachi jumped backwards, rubbing the arm with a small frown before noticing their suspicious gazes. He managed a smirk. "You can thank your Sakura-chan for that one." He gave a small grin as Sasuke growled deep in his throat, lunging.

"I'll be sure to tell her arigato," Neji answered coolly, inwardly smiling at the thought of Sakura breaking Itachi's arm. Neji just managed to put up his arms as a kick came his way. He grunted as the pain hit him, but managed to hold his ground.

"Neji, move!" Tenten's voice rang over the chaos.

Neji immediately jumped into the air, flipping around backwards as a barrage of kunai, Senbon, and shuriken hit Itachi from one of Tenten's many scrolls.

As this happened, Lee rushed forward to where Itachi lay on the ground. When he got there he cursed. "A substitution jutsu!"

Neji immediately crouched down into a fighting stance, Lee doing the same.

Tenten unraveled a scroll partway. Suddenly Itachi appeared behind Sasuke, grabbing the surprised younger brother and holding him as a shield in front of himself.

Tenten and Lee froze, and Neji hesitated.

Sasuke struggled in his brother's grip. Itachi chuckled darkly.

Neji's hesitation lasted the least amount of time. If Neji could get a well aimed kunai through Sasuke and into Itachi's heart… He slipped one out of his pocket. The sacrifice would have to be made for Sakura's sake. He would have gone through with it as well if he hadn't seen what Itachi said to Sasuke at that moment. It was one of his faults, the fact that he could read lips. An unseemly fury came over him at the mere thought.

Sasuke paled, his face showing his fear and anger. Then his Sharingan activated again as he tried to break free.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!"

Neji felt the same way. However, Itachi just smirked as he disappeared. "Come on Zetsu." The other Akatsuki member vanished as well, but not before grabbing a scroll from the corpse of one of the villagers, grinning madly at them with a tip of his fingers in dismissal. He, however, was sporting quite a few more cuts and wounds than Itachi.

Neji watched Sasuke from where he stood.

Sasuke landed on his knees, roaring out in frustration as he punched the ground, making a small indention.

Neji's fists clenched as he turned to survey the aftermath.

Tenten was helping a shaky Lee walk over to where Ino stood. Her medical skills were definitely going to come in handy.

Naruto had a scratch on his face; Gai had a twisted ankle.

Aside from that, everyone seemed fine. Ino had already healed the worst of the villagers. They were slowly coming over to where the others stood.

Kakashi walked up to Sasuke. "What did he say, Sasuke?"

Sasuke just looked at them all for a moment, remaining silent. He stood and began retrieving his kunai from the tree in front of him. The others watched silently.

Then Neji turned to Hinata and with a start, realized that she had seen it as well. Her eyes were wide and her mouth open, hand placed in front of it in horror.

Naruto placed an arm around her shoulders. "What is it, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata barely seemed to notice him as she bit her lip, burying her face in his shoulder. He looked startled as she began crying, but he placed his arms around her awkwardly, as if he didn't know what to do.

Shikamaru turned to Neji. He knew that if Hinata had seen it, then Neji would have.

"Well?" Shikamaru asked.

"None of your damn business." Neji snapped as he picked up his own kunai. "Let's go. I planted a small tracking jutsu on them. Even if they find it, the trail to where they have been will be more prominent and laced with chakra. We can't lose it."

"We're staying here for the night." Shikamaru ordered.

Neji whirled around. "We have to keep moving."

"We can't help Sakura if we're all asleep on our feet." Shikamaru growled back.

"I've already failed once."

Hinata and Sasuke both knew what he was talking about. Hinata just sighed deeply, drying her tears as she tried to regain control of herself.

Sasuke nodded slowly, his eyes not betraying his thoughts. The others watched as the two ANBU captains bristled, glaring at each other.

Then Neji looked away, startling the other with his acceptance. "Very well." He sounded as if he were speaking through water as he headed over to the villagers. He bowed slightly at them. "Do you know anything about the whereabouts of the Akatsuki…the ninja that just attacked you?"

The villagers began speaking, but Neji wasn't listening as he stared out at the forest. In his mind, he was going over and over what he had seen Itachi say, wondering if perhaps he had read his lips wrong.

"She tasted sweet, your cherry blossom."

* * *

Itachi opened the door to his room without knocking, as was his custom. Why would he knock anyway? It was _his_ room. As he did so, Sakura whirled around from where she sat on the window seat. She stiffened at the sight of him, and then noticed the blood on his arm. Her eyes softened and her arm twitched, as if she wanted to heal it, but she refrained from doing so as she hugged her knees to herself. Itachi headed straight towards the window with long, powerful strides.

Sakura watched him, wide eyed, as he made straight for her. She clenched her hands as she made for the hidden kunai she had found while rummaging through his room. Itachi reached forward. Sakura's fingers curled around the kunai…

Itachi closed the drapes with a loud snap, staring down at her as angrily as he would let show. "Don't ever do that again."

"Do what?" Sakura snapped back, eyes shining in challenge.

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the thought. He and Zetsu had walked into the compound and the first thing he had noticed was Sakura. She'd been sitting on the windowsill, clad only in her towel, brushing her hair out with a small, determined smile on her face. Not happy or sad, just a smile of contemplation. Half clad and posed in an inviting stance…he'd been tempted to rush forward and take her right there. Then he had noticed that the other members of the Akatsuki present were watching her.

Deidara from his room, his gaze trailing her from head to toe.

Kisame from his own room, his eyes lighted with appreciation.

Sasori, his gaze curious at the strange and beautiful female who seemed to have appeared overnight.

And Tomokazu, his eyes smoldering with desire and lust.

It had made Itachi burn with jealousy at the thought that they were all getting a very good view of what was supposed to be his and only his. After all, she was only a possession…_his_ possession.

He didn't expect Sasori to do anything, and Kisame feared him enough not to try anything. Deidara…he had a way of making women fall for him. And Tomokazu.

Well, he'd just have to keep her away from that sick bastard.

In fact, he hadn't really wanted the other Akatsuki members besides Kisame to know she existed at all. Still, that would have been a hard task. _Impossible_ if they were all staying in the same place for the moment.

Sakura noticed his contemplative gaze that wasn't really directed at her. She supposed she should have felt embarrassed at the thought that he had come inside while she was only in a towel. _I guess only the youngest Uchiha son inherits manners. _The truth was, as sad as it seemed to her the moment she had seen him walk in, was that she didn't care. Her ANBU training had taken away some of her immature anger, but it was still there, waiting to unfold and burst out. She had suspected it would have at a time like this. However, truth be told, he had seen everything she had to offer. The only blush that would have stained her cheeks at the moment would be one of humiliation at the night before's antics, not the fact that she was practically naked in a room with a S-class criminal. But her training had taught her well, and she steered the warmth from her cheeks.

Itachi was still thinking over something. Sakura had noticed that gaze on Sasuke more than once. Still, it was different. With Sasuke, it was a brooding look. Itachi just seemed to be thinking how to answer without imparting insignificant information. _What is it with these Uchihas?_ All they ever seemed to do was think.

Sakura looked down at his arm and tried not to touch it. She could see a dark stain on his robe, and she could smell the blood. The medic in her was commanding her to heal him. Inner Sakura was telling her to use this small period of weakness to escape. Of course, the ANBU inside of her made the most sense. _Heal his arm and keep watch. Find out any information you can for Konoha when you return. Escape at the moment would be futile. _Sakura had already known that. She'd sensed Akatsuki in the house with her. Four before Itachi and another had come, six at the moment. She'd already recognized two of the chakra wielders from their energies. She had memorized them and engrained their chakra feel in her brain: Kisame and Deidara. She'd never forget their chakra flow and would not be caught off guard by them again. She looked up to see Itachi watching her amusedly behind his cold mask. Itachi, on the other hand, would always be a mystery. Whether she memorized his chakra or not.

A small, almost annoyed sigh escaped her lips as she let the ANBU inside of her persuade her into doing the one thing she didn't want to. "Let me see your arm." She watched his eyes narrow in suspicion, and they stood for a moment in uncomfortable silence.

"I can't fix it if you won't let me see it, Itachi-san." Sakura almost slapped herself. The sarcasm she had laced onto his name couldn't help matters. Besides, it was the first time she had spoken his name to him. She had been hoping to remain indifferent by not addressing him directly at all. So much for that plan.

Surprisingly enough, Itachi held out his arm stoically.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I don't have Byakugan, you know. It's slightly difficult to see your arm through that cloak." Damn her sarcasm. It was going to get her killed.

Itachi grunted slightly in annoyance. He wondered just how much of this he was going to take. If it weren't the fact that she was going to heal his arm, he would have slapped her. But he was going to wait for that for when she was finished. No point in doing it before she could be useful. He took off his Akatsuki robe, leaving him in his black pants, mesh top, and all the other bands and guards that all shinobi wore.

Sakura grasped his arm, not really trying to be gentle as she did so. She saw his fingers curl as if wanting to make a fist. _He can punch me when I finish._ At the moment, that was a good possibility. She knew he wouldn't hit her until she finished. After all, she hadn't lost her _usefulness_. Sakura pushed all of this aside as she looked at his arm. The medic took over at the sight of the blood and the piece of bone jutting from his arm.

Molding chakra into three fingers, she prodded the arm softly, her touch efficient. She did nothing to heal it yet, just assessed the problem. She bit her lower lip, a habit she had ever since med school when she was trying to find the best way to broach the problem with the patient.

"Well, aside from the fractures I gave you," She couldn't help but admire her handiwork, not caring that he heard the fact that she was pleased with herself in her voice, "You have multiple fractures from a blunt hit to the same spot. One of the bones split. I'm going to have to reset all of them." She hated resetting bones, especially when the fractures weren't clean. It took forever to mold bone together with her chakra.

"I knew that." His tone was dry.

Sakura sent a small amount of chakra through one muscle, making it spasm with pain. She saw his eye twitch slightly. She couldn't help but smile. "Good for you." Then she continued probing. She couldn't help it, as she sent her chakra into his entire body. She could sense old breaks that had healed naturally, but still caused him pain, scars from large cuts that had bled painfully before healing on their own…and his eyes.

"You're almost blind." She said the words before she could stop herself. She placed two fingers tentatively to her lips to keep them from saying more as she looked back down at his arm, knowing he would probably kill her for that.

"I knew that as well."

Sakura decided no more sarcastic remarks would be welcome, judging from the warning tone in his voice. He would have no qualms with killing her. Knowing that conversation was out of the question, Sakura let them fall into an uneasy silence before she began healing.

"It'll sting." Was all she said as she pushed her chakra into the first break. She almost hoped he knew that she wasn't going to dull the pain, just because she didn't give a damn if it hurt or not.

And it would hurt like hell.

* * *

Sakura surveyed her work calmly. She was knitting the last few pieces of tissue and muscle to the last broken bone, which she had already set into its original place. The raw, new skin around his wound would be sensitive to the touch. Sakura was almost tempted to slap it so she could see how much it hurt. Like pouring salt into an open wound. Sakura filled his arm with soothing chakra once more, looking down at his chakra highways. No point in opening them up. The last thing she wanted was for him to have even more strength than he did now. They would manually open themselves in a matter of days as the healing process sped up on its own.

Sakura let go of his arm as quickly as she possibly could, her eyes going from the light, soft green to a hardened jade. Medic Sakura was gone for the moment. ANBU Sakura was back in the lead. "It's healed." The moment she said that his other hand came down. However, Sakura had been expecting that. She placed up her arm to block his strike. They stayed that way for a moment, Itachi's narrowed eyes watching her in faint amusement and perhaps even a bit of…surprise?

"My, my, what a waste of energy, Itachi-san." Sakura reprimanded. "You're acting like a spoiled child. Go sulk in a corner somewhere else." The moment she said the words she regretted them. She was pinned against the wall, the rough stone digging into her cheek. Before he had been using barely any of his strength. Now that he was angry, he'd decided to use a bit more. Her arms were pinned behind her back in his unyielding grip. His body was pressed against her back, his breath brushing the small hairs on the back of her neck as he bent his lips to her ear.

"It would be in your best interest to remember who is in charge here. I'll have no more of your tongue. I have no qualms with killing you."

"Or of raping me." Sakura hissed. She was shoved harder into the wall. She felt a few, minute pieces of stone chip off and dig into her skin. She felt the skin break as the sharp edges cut her. She gritted her teeth as his voice, deadly soft, whispered in her ear.

"It won't be rape much longer." Then he shoved her off the wall, flinging her onto the ground. Sakura caught herself on her hands, instead of landing face down. She turned to look at him, one hand placed to her cheek as she wiped away the blood and rock.

Itachi looked down at her for a moment. The towel lay on the ground next to her, completely forgotten. Her naked form was completely visible to him once more, and she made no effort to hide herself as she glared at him, hatred in every line of her body. She actually looked threatening, which was surprising in itself. Itachi had never felt intimidated, especially not by a petit, naked kunoichi with bubblegum colored hair.

Itachi shrugged off her gaze as he headed to the door.

"At least you could tell me who kicked you. I'll send them a gift basket."

Her voice was laced with anger, humiliation, and…disappointment? Itachi just walked to the door. As soon as he slid it open he turned around. "My brother." Then he walked out the door, promptly shutting it behind him.

Sakura gasped. "Sasuke-kun?" She stared down at her hands. He was alive? A horrible feeling crept over her as she doubled over, in mental pain more than physical. If Itachi was alive then surely the outcome of the fight was clear. The winner had been standing in front of her for the last two hours. Sakura let out an angry, choked sob as she slammed her fist into the wooden floor. She felt a knuckle break but she didn't pay it any attention as her shoulders shook. Yet, no tears came. She just stared down in horror.

Sasuke had been brought back to her only to be torn from her arms and heart once more.

* * *

Sasuke was still shaking with anger as they whipped through the trees. He was pushing himself harder than ever before. The only thought in his head was a simple one. Kill Itachi. He would make him suffer for what he had done to Sakura. _His_ Sakura. The only person who seemed to be pushing himself harder than Sasuke was Hyuga Neji.

Neji was traveling ahead of them, his Byakugan ever present as he scanned the trees. It had taken Gai, Shikamaru, and Kakashi to finally get him to slow down enough for some of the others.

They had finally stopped for a short break. The villagers had told them of a small town not too far into the mountains. Apparently it was full of scum and ruffians. The perfect place to find information about other criminals. Also, it was thought that one of the Akatsuki hideouts was close to this town. Sasuke could only hope.

Naruto slumped down beside him with a tired sigh as he drank from the bottle of water in his pack. Sasuke just watched him silently. Naruto gave him a look full of confidence. "We'll get Sakura-chan back, Sasuke. Then, we'll be team seven again, ne?"

Sasuke didn't say anything.

Naruto stayed silent for a moment. However, silence was not Naruto's strong point. "I can't believe Sakura is an ANBU, can you Sasuke? I wonder what jutsus she knows now. Maybe when we get her back, she can help us train."

"Hn."

"She's been training to be a medic nin. I guess she decided that she wanted to be more." Naruto said, surprisingly thoughtful.

"She knew that she could not heal her own heart." Lee answered as he sat down beside them, his sayings corny and dreamy as always. "Sakura-san wanted to harden herself so she could deal with your deaths."

Sasuke merely harrumphed as he turned slightly, trying to ignore Lee. Lee had never hidden his affection and love for Sakura like Sasuke had. He had no idea how hard it was to see her ripped from him the moment he was going to tell her how he felt.

"That's what Kakashi said." Naruto nodded. "But…what happened to her after I left?"

"She became depressed…" Lee said softly, a small frown on his face. "She didn't smile anymore. Every night she'd sit at the gate waiting, coming back exhausted. Sometimes she would fall asleep there."

"Didn't you try and help?" Naruto asked.

"Hai." Lee answered quickly, his frown deepened. "Of course I tried to cheer her up. But Sakura-chan didn't want our sympathy, or our companionship in the beginning. Then…"

"What?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowed. "Then what?"

Lee watched them both. "She trained. She asked for my help and I taught her some of my taijutsu, as did Neji. She decided that if she became strong in her body and mind, then her heart would be strong enough to deal with the loss."

"Neji taught her as well?" Sasuke glared, his gaze going past them to where the Hyuga sat with Shikamaru, talking in low voices about something. As if he felt his gaze, Neji looked up and their gazes met. It seemed he read his mind as he let a small smirk cross his face—a smug smirk—before he turned back to Shikamaru.

Sasuke began to boil. Naruto didn't notice, but Lee did.

"Do not mind him, Sasuke. He only wishes to stop himself from worrying about her. Sakura has become a very important person to all of Konoha."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Besides the fact that Sakura-san has been helping Tsunade-dono at the hospital, Sakura-san likes to help out the people of the village. Naruto, you left after Konoha was just starting to be rebuilt. Well, Sakura-san was there everyday, helping to put up roofs and fix homes. She liked keeping her mind off of you and Sasuke. That was the only thing she could think of to do."

"Oh." Naruto nodded softly, turning back to his water bottle. "I guess Sakura-chan has really been getting far in life. It's been how many years?" He grinned for a moment, "Sakura-chan must have really filled out by now!"

Sasuke just stared at him, glaring with his Sharingan. Then, he realized that Naruto was trying to goad him into a fight, to get his mind off of Sakura. He couldn't help a small smile as he smacked Naruto in the head, sending him face first into the ground. "Shut up loser."

Lee watched them both in confusion. Then he answered, "I have a picture of Sakura-san, would you like to see?" At first Sasuke was going to disagree, angered that Lee had a picture of her. Then he just nodded slowly.

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto said excitedly as he leaned forward, waiting. "Come on, I wanna see!" Even at age eighteen, Naruto was as immature as ever. And just as impatient. Lee smiled as he pulled a small photo out of his ANBU pack, letting them see.

It was a picture of Sakura in a kimono. The background looked like one of the Konoha streets, lighted with paper lanterns. Sasuke guessed it was New Years. She was holding a small fish in a plastic bag of water, as if she had just won it. She had a small smile on her face, as if she were enjoying herself but her mind was on other things. It wasn't the old Sakura smile.

"Wow!" Naruto gasped out. "She really _has_ filled out!" That got another smack from Sasuke. He just stared at the picture before Lee put it lovingly back in his pack.

No wonder Itachi had taken her. She looked irresistible. And at the moment she was in the clutches of his brother…the killer of his family.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how long she sat on the floor. All she remembered was that she finally healed her cheek, making it look as good as new as she stood shakily. She barely remembered to pick up the towel and place it over her shoulders as she sat down on the bed. She seemed to move in a trance as she looked down at her hands. She had just healed the man that had killed Sasuke…Hot tears filled her eyes but she stopped them from falling.

Her eyes hardened slightly as she looked at the clothing placed on the chair against the wall: a rust colored kimono with a black obi with butterfly designs in crimson and gold. It was a truly beautiful piece of clothing. However, Sakura was not feeling very appreciative. What did Itachi think she was, his doll that he could dress any way he wanted to? Hell no.

Sakura picked up the kimono, pulling out a kunai. She hurriedly cut it up to the thigh like a traditional yukata, and then cut the sleeves like she used to do at home, with slits near the shoulder. Then she turned to see her pack lying on the ground next to the chair. None of her weapons were left, and all her important scrolls were gone. However, that was the least of her worries. She found what she was looking for and grinned in triumph. She began sewing up the split ends of the hem, so that it looked presentable.

Afterwards, Sakura put on her bra and mesh tank. Then she slipped on the pair of navy-black pants that she saw on another seat. She supposed they weren't exactly for her, but she didn't give a care. She definitely knew they weren't hers when she put them on and saw the large mesh shirt beneath them. Oh well, Itachi would get over it. She tied the string around them tight, noticing that they went past her feet. Sakura hurriedly began mending them as well, so that they skimmed her ankles. Then she placed the kimono top on, tying the obi tight. She wondered about the look on Itachi's face when he would see her next. Wouldn't _he_ be surprised?

She slipped on her old shinobi sandals, ignoring the thori and the socks that went with them, which were supposed to match her kimono. At the moment, that was a moot point, since there was no kimono to speak of. Sakura looked at herself in the mirror in the bathroom, letting a small smile grace her features. She looked damn good.

Sakura wondered how many hours she had spent sitting in the room and mending. Surely Itachi would be coming soon to…to what? Rape her again? Sakura harrumphed as she noticed the ivory comb next to the kimono. Did he expect her to twist her hair up in a bun and dress like a pretty little geisha now? She swore that if she saw any makeup she would kill him the next time she saw him. Of course, she would do that anyway. Sakura looked at the ivory comb, shaped like a butterfly. She ran her fingers over the smooth surface, admiring the craftsmanship. For a moment it struck her as uncommon that Itachi would have these things just lying in a closet somewhere, waiting for a young woman to give them to.

_He must have gotten them for me._ That shocked Sakura to the core. Why on earth would the heartless, cold Itachi Uchiha buy her a kimono—or yukata as it was at the moment—as well as the ivory comb that must have cost a small fortune? Then she realized that he must have done it just so the others could admire his little pet. His little cherry blossom. It was also a simple statement that as long as she remained in his home, she would not be fighting like a shinobi, but acting like a lady.

Sakura's hand tightened on the comb, before relaxing. If he wanted her to play dress up for a day, so be it. She'd be gone soon anyway. She put her hair up in a small knot, placing the comb in delicately. She left the bathroom, looking at the clock. 5:35. Itachi's little entrance had ended at 2:13. Sakura had been a busy little kunoichi. Her stomach growled slightly and Sakura's eyes narrowed.

If Itachi wasn't going to bring her something to eat, then Sakura would just have to go find some herself. She opened the door and walked outside, completely ignoring the extra Akatsuki robe that had been purposely placed beneath the kimono for her to wear outside.

Screw it.

* * *

Sakura entered the hallway hesitantly, then confidently, as she sensed no one there. The moment she stepped out of Itachi's room she expected him to come rushing forward, shoving her back inside. Instead, there was complete silence. She, did, however, sense the chakra of other Akatsuki. Her hidden kunai that she had found in Itachi's room was safely placed inside of her obi. Her feet didn't make a sound as she walked. She supposed it was habit, the way she walked silently. At the moment, she was wondering whether or not it was a good idea. After all, sneaking up on the Akatsuki was probably a one way ticket to pain…and death. Sakura clenched her hand; she still had a bit of chakra that she had recovered after healing Itachi. It wasn't enough to kill anyone, but enough to give them a warning.

Still, barging in on an Akatsuki meeting was not at the top of her to do list. Food was her first priority. She walked passed the doorway near Itachi's, knowing that they were bedrooms. From what she could glean from her looks into the courtyard and the walk she was having now, the house was built like a large square.

It wouldn't be hard to get lost in, but she was still having difficulty finding the damn kitchen! She stopped in front of a door as the smell of food hit her. And then she noticed that so did the scent of chakra. The Akatsuki weren't having a meeting. They were eating. Sakura didn't know if it could get any worse. However, she was not about to back down. She was Sakura Haruno, first ANBU captain of Konoha.

She breathed in deeply as she walked inside, her face calm.

* * *

The moment the door slid open Itachi turned, as did everyone else in the room. Of all the people, he supposed only he had sensed her chakra level. After all, they were very small due to Kisame's draining. He, being intoned with it—and the chakra bond he had placed upon her—knew immediately when she had gotten to the door, as well as when she had left the room. But that thought was far from his mind as he spotted her.

The first thing he noticed was that she was not wearing the kimono he had gotten her. In fact, she was wearing a strangely familiar yukata and slacks. The yukata, rust colored with a black obi with gold and red butterflies, had once been the kimono Itachi had found. For a moment he was furious that she'd cut it up, and then he realized how well it looked on her. She certainly knew how to wear clothing.

The pants, he immediately noticed, were his. The little wench had cut them down to make her own. The only thing that he had given her that she hadn't mutilated was the comb. It was placed in her pink hair in the small knot she had twisted atop her head. Her rose colored bangs framed her face.

Another surprise was the fact that she did not seem perturbed at the sight of seven Akatsuki seated around a table in front of her. She calmly bowed to them as if she were a guest in their home, and then made her way to sit beside Itachi in the only available seat. She did nothing, however, to let him know that she even knew he was there. Kisame was staring openmouthed in surprise, the others a bit less dramatically.

Itachi watched her amusedly. Her ANBU training had kicked in after he had left. She would certainly be making things interesting. He had wondered when she'd come out of the room from her good sulk. _Who is the little child now, cherry blossom?_ He even forgot how immature his own retort sounded in his head as he turned to the others.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as they continued to watch her. "I'm Sakura." She nodded her head once more in greeting before picking up a pair of chopsticks and filling the plate in front of her with food. As they continued to stare, she finally looked up, "And you are…?"

"Excuse me, kunoichi, but what the hell are you doing here?" Kisame ended in a roar.

"Eating." Sakura said offhandedly as she filled her cup with tea. Deidara hid a laugh behind his hand.

"Sakura Haruno will be staying here as long as it is deemed necessary." Itachi supplied. "She will be used as bait to bring in the Kyuubi."

_So glad to see I'm needed_, Sakura thought to herself as she looked down at her food. She hesitated for a moment before pulling a vial out of her obi. She filled a small bowl with the liquid before dipping a piece of the bread into it. When it did not change color, Sakura bit into the roll contentedly.

"You think we'd poison our own food, yeah?" Deidara asked, genuinely surprised that the kunoichi had even thought to test the food. They always did that beforehand.

"Of course not." Sakura said in a sarcastic tone as she glared at Deidara. "But you'd have no qualms with poisoning mine." Then she continued eating.

Kisame guffawed. "I like the little cherry blossom. If you don't want her, Itachi, she can stay with me." He grinned as he said the last part, wondering if he'd goaded Itachi into a fight. Itachi did nothing as he drank his tea. Sakura merely raised an eyebrow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Haruno-san. I am Sasori." The puppet master Akatsuki announced. There was something about him that made Sakura look harder. She knew all about the Akatsuki, but she wasn't going to let them catch on to that. She was ANBU after all. She'd been trained to kill these men if ever the mission came to her. She memorized his face, voice, and chakra level as she put a name to it. Sakura just merely nodded at him.

"I'm Deidara, yeah." The blond grinned. Sakura's hand faltered as she nearly dropped her chopsticks. She turned to look at him, her face strained. "We've met." Deidara suddenly realized what she meant. After all, he had killed one of her squad mates.

"I am sure you know about each of us here, kunoichi. I don't think we need to introduce ourselves if you know our names." Kisame grinned.

A smile twitched at Sakura's mouth. "Who said I knew you?"

"You are an ANBU." Itachi answered in monotone.

This time Sakura managed a dry smile. "Well, there's that." Kisame laughed loudly as Sasori, Deidara, and Zetsu smiled.

"Do you believe you would have succeeded, Haruno-san?" Sasori asked curiously.

"In a one on one battle?" Sakura shrugged with another smile, "I guess we'd have to see, wouldn't we?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the invitation. He knew it was for a battle, but the fact that she was talking with the others freely was grating on his nerves. Itachi stood, "Come Sakura."

Sakura's hand twitched as she gripped her cup tightly.

"I need to speak with you privately."

Sakura stood, her gaze hard. "Very well." Her tone was dry, as if she were finding it amusing that he was acting so jealous. Itachi's eyes narrowed. He wasn't jealous. He almost had the urge to roll his eyes as Sakura walked outside with him. He grabbed her arm the moment the door closed and dragged her towards his room.

"Let go." Sakura hissed between her teeth as she firmly stood, planting her feet so she couldn't move.

Itachi smirked slightly. "You will do what I tell you to."

"Make me." Sakura cursed herself the moment she said it. She damned her stupid emotions as he took the invitation, pinning her against the wall, his arms an immovable cage on either side. He leaned forward. "Good enough?"

Sakura said nothing as she stared at him. Then her knee went up. She heard Itachi grunt in pain before she felt herself thrown into the wall. She let out her own growl as she hit it fully in the back, banging the back of her head as she tried to steady herself. The talking from the kitchen stopped immediately. Sakura instantly lunged forward at Itachi.

He blocked her punch, noticing that she wasn't gathering chakra into her arms or legs. Apparently she had another plan in mind. Sakura suddenly got into a stance that Itachi didn't recognize. This was not her usual taijutsu. She swiped with her legs to knock Itachi down and he dodged, coming up behind her. Sakura flipped up, her feet almost touching the high ceiling as she came down with her hands. She jabbed with two fingers on each side of his neck before landing behind him.

Itachi growled as pain erupted in his throat. He felt that his air passage was damaged. If he had not moved forward slightly, it would have been blocked completely, suffocating him.

Sakura grinned as she saw him rub his throat. "I learned that point from my friend Neji Hyuga."

"A Hyuga in ANBU?" Itachi's lips twitched. "I think I remember him. He fought against me with my brother, a bit more focused and powerful than Sasuke."

Sakura's anger flared as she clenched her fists. Her eyes widened, "Did you kill him?" Her voice came out anxious, not icy like she had wished for. Itachi's eyes narrowed in amusement as Sakura faked a jab to his ribs and he blocked, coming up to block her other hand with his other one.

They stayed that way, each pushing on the others arms, trying to gain footing over the other.

"I believe that the Kyuubi was there as well, and other ANBU. Even the copy-ninja came to rescue the little cherry blossom of Konoha."

Sakura pushed with another bit of upper body strength that seemed impossible, given her slender arms. "Did…you… _kill_ them?" She ground out from between clenched teeth. She dreaded the answer as she saw the triumphant look in his crimson Sharingan eyes.

…

…

"No."

Sakura's eyes widened for a second as she heard the answer. She faltered for a moment and Itachi took the invitation, pushing forward. The moment she realized her mistake, Sakura knew she was going to fall beneath him if she didn't do anything. She let her legs fall, getting him in the stomach with one of them and flipping him over her. She didn't hear a crash as she jumped to her feet, grabbing the comb from her hair. She launched it at the Uchiha who had landed on his heels gracefully.

Itachi's eyes widened for a split second as the comb shot towards him. He only just managed to dodge. The force of the throw made the teeth of the comb dig themselves into the wooden wall.

Sakura blocked the moment she threw the comb as his kick connected with her crossed arms. Sakura was pushed back an inch or so, before she realized that Itachi was no longer in front of her. His leg connected with her back as she flew forward, using her hands to block her fall and roll over so she was on her back, making it easier for her to stand. However, she wasn't given the chance as she was pinned to the ground by Itachi, a kunai at her throat.

Itachi couldn't help but smirk. "Finished?"

Sakura snarled as Itachi felt cold metal on his chest.

A kunai was placed over his heart. Sakura had a kunai…where had the kunoichi gotten a _weapon_? The feeling of the cold kunai against his hot skin was strangely erotic, as was the fact that Sakura had given him a good fight. Her breathing was louder than usual as her breasts grazed his chest as she breathed in deeply. What a dangerous pet his cherry blossom was.

Kisame laughed from the doorway as they both turned to see the Akatsuki watching them.

"Cherry blossom eh? More like hemlock."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, before a laugh began bubbling up from her lips at the thought. Perhaps it was her terrified mind trying to find release, but it happened none-the-less. She must have been going insane, that was her only reasoning. It began as a small giggle in her throat.

The moment he heard it, Kisame laughed, Deidara following close behind. Soon all three of them were laughing out of control, while the others smiled.

Even Itachi couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Sakura, hatred in her eyes before, now laughing hysterically at a lame joke Kisame had made up. The innocence in her face was so much more prominent when she laughed or smiled, and it pleased Itachi.

Sakura stopped laughing soon, though Kisame didn't seem able to stop, and Deidara was still chuckling. Sakura then turned to Itachi, who still held her under him.

"Could I stand now, please? My legs are falling asleep." This got another guffaw out of Kisame.

Itachi immediately stood. Sakura almost expected him to hold out a hand to help her up, then had to stop herself from laughing again at the thought. Itachi being chivalrous? Impossible.

"I still need to speak with you privately." Itachi answered after Kisame had finally stopped laughing. Instead of a sarcastic retort, Itachi was surprised as Sakura consented with a nod of her head.

She turned to look back at the other Akatsuki. For some reason, her manners faltered. She was not about to tell them that she'd enjoyed their company just because it was the polite thing to say. She managed a small smile that died quickly and a nod of her head before she walked with Itachi back to his room.

She thought she heard Kisame in the background tell the others, "I was the one to go and find her, you know. What a fight that was! It was only Itachi and me…"

"I believe I was there too, yeah." Deidara interjected.

"Oh, right." Kisame said vaguely. Sakura heard the others laugh as she slipped inside of Itachi's room, Itachi right behind her.

* * *

Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, leaned against her desk, her head in her hands. She opened her eyes wearily as she saw Shizune sitting in the chair in front of her desk, eyes concerned.

"No word yet?"

Tsunade shook her head as she sighed deeply. Her head still ached from the hangover she'd gotten from her escapades the night before. So much for just one drink. One drink had led to the _wonderful_ idea that Tsunade should drink one for each day since Sakura-chan had gone missing. Then for each ANBU she'd sent to find her, and each member of the Akatsuki…

"Why would Itachi want her?" Tsunade asked the thousandth time. "She's a wonderful Shinobi for sure, but not the strongest. Her medical abilities almost outdo my own—" Tsunade stopped, groaning. "He couldn't have stolen her just so she could fix his eyes! That wouldn't make sense. After all, he could have found another medical nin."

"Do you think he'd trust anyone to fix his eyes but the best?" Shizune asked.

"He wouldn't trust anyone even then. The message from Shikamaru says that they found him and fought once, and that they are following a chakra trail to a village in the land of River." Tsunade turned to look at her good friend and fellow healer. She knew she had to be strong for Konoha, but it was so hard. Sakura had been like a daughter to her. She'd helped to stabilize the hospital and lighten even the Hokage's load.

"They'll find her." Shizune said confidently. "She's your student after all. She won't die easily...and didn't you teach her the genesis of rebirth jutsu?" They both knew Shizune was trying to convince herself of Sakura's safety as well.

"I'm more worried of what they'll do to her while she's alive…" Tsunade whispered. She remembered Orochimaru's words to her so long ago, when they had been students together. _**It's amazing what a person can live through, isn't it Tsunade-chan? **_

Tsunade looked out the window at Konoha, its bustling streets and cheerful people so unknowing that their favorite, pink haired kunoichi was in the hands of a madman. _Please Sakura, come back to us safely._

**(AN: Lot's of emotional trauma huh? You can almost FEEL the tension. Some people might think it's strange that the first thing Sakura did was take a shower, but that's actually what most rape victims do. Anyway, more angst in the next chapter, as well as a few happy moments, which this story needs. I don't want it to be completely depressing. Who else was just waiting for Itachi to throw the fact that he raped Sakura in Sasuke's face? He's probably just doing it to make him more angry and get him to use his full potential when they fight for real.)**


	4. Chapter 3: A Ray of Sunshine

**Chapter 3**

**A little ray of Sunshine**

Hinata leaned back on the tree branch, her eyes worried and dark as she looked out at the night sky. It seemed so strange to her, to be in this place. She'd never thought when she was young that she'd be an ANBU. She'd never dreamed Sakura would be her captain either… Hinata hugged her legs to her chest as she looked out across the forest. She was supposed to be keeping watch, but it was difficult. Thoughts of her and Sakura's growing friendship over the years surfaced in her mind.

"_Ne, Hinata-chan?" _

_Hinata looked up with a small blush at the pink haired kunoichi who stood in front of her. She tried to stand, but she couldn't find the energy. She had drained all of her chakra in training, and now she could barely move._

_Sakura squatted down on the ground next to her, giving a small smile, a rarity in those days. "What were you doing?"_

"_I…I was t-training…" Hinata whispered, wondering what Sakura would think._

"_Way out here?"_

… "_Hai…"_

_Sakura furrowed her brows and Hinata fixed her gaze on the ground. She didn't want to know what Sakura was thinking at the moment. _

"_It's a nice place to train, I won't doubt that." She heard Sakura sit down on the ground beside her. "But it must get lonely. Why aren't you training with the others?"_

_Hinata looked up with a small smile, though her eyes remained worried at how Sakura would react to what she was about to say. "...they're all t-training to become A-ANBU."_

_Sakura gave another one of her smiles that was only a shadow of its former self, though she truly looked happy at the thought. "They've gotten a lot stronger. But why aren't you training with them?"_

"_I didn't w-want to be a b-burden…" Hinata bit her lip to keep from saying the rest of what she was thinking. _Since I'm not strong enough to follow them. _She waited for another answer as Sakura shifted beside her._

"_And why would you be a burden?"_

"_B-because I could never be a-an ANBU." Hinata stuttered, looking at Sakura as if she were insane to think otherwise. "I-I don't even th-think I could…I c-could make a Jônin s-sensei."_

"_You know what Hinata-chan?"_

"_W-what?"_

"_Let's take the ANBU test together."_

"_Nani?"_

_Sakura laughed as she shook her head at Hinata's horrified look. "Come on, we can do it. If Ino-pig is going to do it, we can." She grinned again at the thought of Ino's face if she had heard the retort._

"_B-But Sakura-chan. I…I-I'm not strong enough."_

"_Oi." Sakura rolled her eyes slightly. "Of course you are, Hinata-chan. Besides…to tell you the truth, I wasn't going to take the ANBU test either until now. I was thinking about it, but I had doubts."_

"…_really?"_

"_Hai." Sakura nodded. "I was afraid I wouldn't be strong enough, even after all my training. I'm more used to saving lives than…than ending them, ne?"_

_Hinata nodded. "B-but you'd make a g-great ANBU."_

"_Really?"_

"_H-hai!" Hinata nodded enthusiastically at her friend. "You're smart and y-you know how to think f-fast in a situation. Y-you don't freeze like m-me…"_

_Sakura slung an arm around Hinata's shoulders and gave them a small squeeze. "Don't give up on yourself just yet, Hinata-chan. You'd make a wonderful ANBU."_

"_Y-you think so?"_

_Sakura grinned, and it struck Hinata that it was a true grin, though it was tinged with sadness as Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "Hai. Naruto and I wanted to become ANBU together."_

"…_oh."_

_Sakura sighed softly. "Hinata-chan, I know you miss him too, ne?"_

"_H-hai…"_

"_Help me then, Hinata-chan. I want to become ANBU so that I can say I did it, so I can show all of Konoha that if _**I**_ could do it, than that idiot troublemaker could too! No one believed he would amount to anything and I want to prove all of them wrong. I want them to see that he could have become Hokage one day."_

_Hinata was startled at this revelation as she saw the tears silently falling to the ground. "Ne, S-Sakura-chan, why are you c-crying? N-Naruto-kun isn't dead! You c-can't ever think h-he would die on this mission c-could you?"_

_Sakura didn't answer, she just merely began crying harder, and Hinata hugged her gently, not knowing if she was doing the right thing. _

_Tears flooded her own eyes. Soon both of them were holding each other tightly, sobbing uncontrollably._

_They seemed to stay that way for hours; both mourning over the boy they both thought was dead._

_Finally, Hinata answered Sakura, her voice a bit stronger, and without a single stutter._

"_I'll take the ANBU test with you, Sakura-chan, and show them that they were wrong about Naruto-kun." _

"Hey Hinata-chan! I brought you some food." Naruto sat down beside Hinata, holding out a rice cake, "I didn't want you to get lonely on guard duty. The only other one watching is that NEJI guy." Naruto rolled his eyes as Hinata giggled softly.

"Arigato Naruto-k-kun." She thanked him in her soft voice.

"So…I guess Sasuke and I missed a lot." Naruto began, trailing off as he waited for Hinata to explain.

"Hai." Hinata whispered. "We all b-became ANBU. I guess…" Hinata blushed, realizing that it was easier to talk with Naruto now than it had been before. "I…I g-guess…" Not that much easier. "Um. Sakura-chan a-asked me to t-take the ANBU test with her. I wasn't g-going to take it o-otherwise."

"Why not? You'd make a great ANBU!" Naruto grinned. "I mean you MADE a great ANBU."

Hinata blushed deep red, thankful for the darkness hiding her flaming cheeks. "Oh…th-thank you Naruto-kun."

Naruto sighed. "Do you think Sakura-chan's ok?"

Hinata immediately sobered up, pulling her legs closer to her. "I hope so. Sakura-chan is s-strong and s-smart but…I'm a-afraid f-for her."

Naruto turned to look at Hinata, seeing her shoulders slump. He grinned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leaning his head on her shoulder as he spoke, voice cheerful and teasing. "Don't worry about it Hinata-chan. If Sakura-chan is as stubborn as she was when we were younger than she's alive. She IS crazy, after all."

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata stuttered, not sure if she was surprised at his statement, or the fact that he was holding her. She hadn't been able to let it sink in—the fact that he'd come home—until now. He was real and there and TOUCHING her.

In fact, he made no move to _stop_ touching her. Hinata completely forgot about guard duty as she felt Naruto's warm body leaning against hers, his breath on her neck as he looked out at the forest. They stayed that way for a few minutes in comfortable silence.

"Hinata?"

"H-Hai?" Hinata whispered, not wanting the moment to end.

"You're shivering. You must be cold."

Hinata's eyes widened as she heard his voice. This wasn't the goofy, care free Naruto. This was an older Naruto. Deeper, softer, and…alluring. She felt herself enveloped in warm arms as Naruto held her close to him.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata whispered fearfully, afraid of what might happen if she spoke. She barely had a voice left as it was.

"Hai?"

Hinata bit her lip, wondering what to say. Naruto's breath was on her ear, making the small hairs near the base tickle. "…Why?" She felt Naruto stiffen slightly and she wondered what she'd said wrong.

Then Naruto's arms held her tighter as his lips grazed her cheek, giving her a small peck. Hinata completely froze, letting out a small gasp. She didn't make a move to get out of his embrace as she sat there, however. She vaguely wondered what Neji would be thinking if he knew she wasn't exactly looking out for dangerous shinobi.

"When Sasuke came back and Sakura-chan was gone…it got me thinking. Sasuke never had the chance to tell Sakura-chan how he felt and now she's gone…" Naruto spoke slowly, as if trying to decide what to say.

"I just didn't want that to happen to me."

It took a moment for it to sink in. Hinata just sat there, dumbstruck. Then Naruto tipped her chin, so that she was looking into his eyes. They stayed that way for a moment, both blushing, as Hinata's hearth thumped in her chest as she wondered what he was going to do next.

He pulled away quickly, blushing. "Ne, Hinata-chan? You haven't spoken for three minutes."

Hinata just let out a happy squeak as she threw her arms around Naruto, burying her head in the crook of his neck. They stayed that way for a moment, before a voice interrupted them.

"Well Lady Hinata, I'm glad that no enemy shinobi came by. Otherwise, you would have been killed while you were making out with Uzumaki." Neji's voice was icy cold as he stood in front of them.

Hinata blushed a deep red, while Naruto just frowned, looking up at Neji from where he and Hinata sat.

"Why'd you have to go and ruin the moment, Hyuga?" Naruto snapped at Neji.

Neji just snorted. "It's your turn to guard Uzumaki. I'd prefer it if Lady Hinata got some sleep and you actually did some watching." Then Neji jumped off the limb and headed back to the camp.

Naruto muttered something about Neji being a cold, heartless bastard before he let go of Hinata. "I guess you should probably get some sleep, Hinata-chan."

"Oh…r-right." Hinata whispered, still trying to cool her flaming cheeks. She stood, getting ready to turn away when Naruto grabbed her hand. He gave it a small squeeze and gave her a heart-stopping smile before letting go. Hinata just smiled at him.

"Good night Naruto-k-kun." Hinata then jumped down off the branch, heading back to camp. Naruto watched her go, smiling to himself. Unlike that teme Sasuke, he was going to make sure that Hinata-chan KNEW how HE felt. He wondered if maybe something good had come out of all this.

* * *

The moment they entered the room, the semi-cheerful air that had surrounded them vanished. Itachi expertly closed the door behind them, his eyes narrowed. Sakura sat down on the edge of the bed, eyes cast downward. Itachi leaned against the wall and the moment of silence stretched. He finally broke it.

"Why did you destroy that kimono?"

"I'm not your whore," Sakura snapped back, her voice just as cold, "And I won't be treated or dressed like one."

"Oh?" Itachi came up behind her, hands gripping her arms as his breath caressed her cheek. "But that is all you are to me."

"I thought I was bait." Sakura growled, not liking the feel of his fingers running along the length of her arm. He wasn't being violent like before. Now…now he was being gentle. Her skin tingled where he touched her.

Itachi let out a low chuckle. "Who said I couldn't have fun with my bait?" His tongue darted out, licking her neck. Sakura stiffened, struggling as she tried to get out of his grasp.

"Let go of me Uchiha."

"And here I thought you'd be easy to seduce…I'm pleased to see I was wrong."

Sakura froze for a moment, before feeling her anger begin to get the better of her. She'd spent years trying to suppress it, and now Itachi Uchiha was opening the door to her fury. He was walking on thin ice.

"You should get used to not getting what you want, Uchiha! I hate you!"

"Hn." Itachi leaned back, still holding her. "And why is that? I only gave you what other men would not."

"You took what wasn't yours…" Sakura whispered vehemently, hatred in every word. "You took what was supposed to be Sasuke's."

Itachi stopped for a moment, his grip going lax. For a moment it enraged him that she would even think his brother deserved her loyalty, before an idea came to him. Then his eyes flashed evilly as he gripped her wrists tighter, making little circles on them with his thumbs. "And you think he would have loved you back? I doubt he cares even now, while he's hunting you."

Sakura began struggling in his grip. "Then why is he coming for me?" It was a feeble attempt at a comeback and they both knew it. Sakura already knew the answer, only waited for Itachi to voice it as shame flooded through her at the mere thought—no delusion—that Sasuke could ever have loved her.

"He isn't coming for you. He's coming for me."

Sakura's head drooped as she bit her lip, feeling tears flood her eyes. _**"I'm an avenger, Sakura-chan. It's what I do. I will never let anything get in the way of my mission to kill Itachi. Nothing and no one is more important than that." **_

"…Not even me…" Sakura whispered to herself as she began to shake, trying to hide her weakness from Itachi as he held her arms, not letting her go. She wanted to turn around and slap him. Punch him, kick him, bite him. She wanted to make Itachi feel all the pain she was feeling. She wanted that cold-hearted bastard to finally feel emotion again. The wounding kind.

"I won't let you kill him…" Sakura gritted between her teeth. "I promise that I will never let you near him."

"Empty promises, Sakura-chan. You can't help him any more than you can help yourself."

Sakura merely stared ahead, willing her tears to stop as she vowed it in her heart. She'd never let Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke battle. Because, as she realized in horror and misery, Sasuke would lose. He wasn't strong enough.

Sasuke wasn't powerful enough to defeat Itachi.

And if the most powerful member of team seven couldn't do it…than what could the weak link do?

"Musing over my little brother? He'll come looking for me soon, and then I'll make sure to kill him. I want to see if he has become strong enough to fight me like he promised to. From what I've seen, he hasn't. I'll let you watch, if you want."

"Get out." Sakura hissed. "Get OUT!" She shoved her elbows backwards, jamming them into Itachi's stomach. He let out a small grunt as he let go. Sakura didn't even look at him as she began crying even harder.

"Just leave me alone."

Itachi merely watched her from where he stood. He saw little droplets of water fall onto the black silk sheets of his bed. He made no move to leave the room, however. He was not going to be ordered around by anyone, especially a weakling little kunoichi.

There was a knock on the door and Itachi slid it open, revealing Kisame.

"Hey Itachi, we were going out to have a drink or two and we wanted to know if you and the little cherry blossom would want to come."

"She stays." Itachi spoke as he grabbed his cloak, putting it around his shoulders as he stepped into the hallway. Sakura turned to see Kisame raise an eyebrow, then look at the crying Sakura, before turning back to Itachi and nodding. Sakura hadn't expected any pity from the other cold-hearted Akatsuki members, so it did not faze her in the least. The door slid shut with a definite click. Sakura already knew that Itachi had replaced the chakra bonds on the door and window. She wouldn't be able to escape. She heard their footsteps as the Akatsuki left the home.

It was an awful feeling, to know that she was a prisoner without any chance of escape. Suddenly a horrible thought came to her as she buried her face in one of the pillows.

_What do I have to go home to anyway?_

* * *

Ino sat down next to the small fire where Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba sat. None of them noted her red-rimmed eyes. All of them knew she'd been crying over Sakura's abduction.

Akamaru woofed softly, touching her cheek with his cool nose in a hope of lifting her spirits. Ino merely smiled sadly at him, scratching behind his ear. His tail began thumping wildly.

Kiba just grinned, "Akamaru always knows who to go to for an ear scratching."

"He's spoiled." Choji grunted, grabbing another handful of potato chips.

"Oi, Choji-teme. Do you HAVE to eat so much?" Ino snapped.

Everyone turned to her, eyes worried.

"What's you're problem?" Choji growled, "Is it that time of the month or something?"

Ino huffed, standing up again to head back out to the forest. "Don't come to me when you get fat, you idiot."

Shikamaru sighed, seeing the fight that was about to happen. "Both of you stop it…you're so troublesome."

"I'M troublesome!? _You're_ the lazy ass!" Ino snarled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Shikamaru merely sighed, smart enough to know not to get on her nerves anymore. A smart-aleck retort would only be adding wood to the already blazing bonfire.

"Lazy ass? At least Shikamaru does something! All YOU do is your little medic jutsus!" Choji retorted.

"Hey, hey." Kiba stepped in as Akamaru whined, "Let's all calm down. We're all overreacting. I think it's time for a breather."

"YOU'RE one to talk!" Ino turned on him furiously. "It's your fault Sakura's gone in the first place!"

"MY fault?" Kiba let out a feral laugh, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

"You and Hinata should have been faster! You should have been stronger! You should have _never_ have left her with him!" Ino shrieked, her voice carrying now. The other small groups had gone silent as they watched.

At this point in time Hinata walked back into camp, hearing the retort from Ino. Tears stung her eyes at the hurtful remark. After all, she already blamed herself, as did Kiba. Kiba saw her lip trembling and began the defensive against Ino to protect his teammate from her sharp tongue.

"Excuse me?" Kiba growled. "She gave us a direct order! We _had_ to leave."

"If she had ordered you to jump off a cliff would you?" Ino muttered darkly.

"Calm down…" Kakashi sighed, not liking where this was going. What good would they be in helping Sakura if they killed themselves?

"Where were YOU!?" Ino turned on Kakashi now, eyes filled with tears as she tried to fight them back. "Where were ALL OF YOU!?!?!" She glared around at all of the ANBU seated around them.

"Where were _you_?"

Ino froze, eyes wide at the accusation. She turned to see Neji jumping down from the tree limb, watching them all with narrowed eyes.

"Why don't you stop trying to be a self-righteous bitch and realize that you're pointing fingers at others because you blame yourself."

Ino merely glared at him, tears falling down her cheeks as she rushed into the forest.

"_Ino_." Shikamaru groaned, standing and going after her. The others merely watched him go, and then turned to Neji.

"What's your problem, Hyuga?" Kiba questioned harshly.

"Hn."

"You and that Uchiha. Always the cold, hard-asses, huh?" Kiba shook his head in wonder, "I don't see how you can pretend you're not affected at all."

"Let us not quarrel." Lee jumped in, seeing another fight about to begin. This one, however, he knew would be physical. He had also seen Tenten bristle, ready to go to Neji's defense. He'd known for a long time that Tenten had feelings for Neji, but he had often wondered if they were one-sided. Now, he knew it was so. It reminded him of his own love for Sakura, and that hurt. It also made him understand her want to protect Neji from the others.

Sasuke hadn't moved, even after Kiba's retort. Apparently, he either didn't care, or he was mulling over other more important things. He was faced away from the group, at the edge of the camp looking out at the forest and into the darkness that permeated from it.

Kakashi and Gai merely looked at each other, neither knowing if they should jump in before something happened. But after seeing Lee, they decided that nothing would happen.

"Let's get some sleep." Kakashi put in cheerfully. "After all, tomorrow we go to town!"

"Lee, you and Tenten have watch after Uzumaki and Aburame." Neji finally whispered before he slipped into his own blanket, curled up, his back to the fire.

Lee and Tenten shared a long, exasperated look at Neji's stubbornness, as well as a smile. Then both Lee and Tenten bunked down for the night, knowing they had the next watch.

Hinata looked around hesitatingly, trying to brush away her pained tears as she pulled her blanket out of her pack.

"Hey Hinata, come over here with me and Akamaru. He seems to think you'll give him a belly rub." Kiba called out comfortingly, knowing that Hinata needed cheering.

Hinata smiled feebly at him, walking over to where the two lay. She leaned against Akamaru's soft fur, burying her face in it. She let out a small sigh of comfort.

"Hey Hinata, don't worry about it…It's not your fault." Kiba whispered, knowing what she was thinking. They hadn't been teammates for years for nothing. Kiba could read her easily now, and knew when and what was making her sad.

"I was second in command…I thought…" Hinata bit her lip as she whispered, noticing that the others were all curling in their blankets to sleep. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

"You did do the right thing." Kiba answered reassuringly. "Sakura gave you an order that she knew you'd follow through with for the safety of the team. That's why you're the second."

"Right…" Hinata murmured softly as she curled up next to Akamaru, her arms around his neck.

"…right."

* * *

Shikamaru finally found Ino sitting on a tree branch in the dark, legs pulled to her chest for warmth as her shoulders shook.

"…stupid Sakura…getting herself captured by Itachi…great going forehead girl…" Ino whispered to herself, muttering as she wiped her eyes.

"Hey Ino." Shikamaru leaned on the branch next to her.

"What do you want?" Ino snapped.

"Well for one, I'd like you to lighten up. Snapping at Hinata and Kiba like that was harsh. Acting like a bitch isn't going to get Sakura back now is it? Neji was right about that part."

Ino merely dug her fingers into her knees. She glared at Shikamaru, knowing he was right. He always talked blandly with her, knowing she didn't want the drawn out, cryptic answers he tried to give everyone else to evade the subject.

"Yeah." Ino muttered. "I guess I snapped."

"That's an understatement."

Ino huffed, "Shut up, idiot."

"Ino-pig."

Ino looked up at him at the old insult. When she did, it wasn't Shikamaru she saw, it was Sakura. Sakura had bequeathed the nickname to her as a comeback to being called forehead girl. Even through it all, their rivalry over Sasuke, they'd remained friends. After Sasuke had left, Ino had gotten over her crush, but it had hit Sakura harder. Ino had tried to help her get over him, but it wasn't as easy. Ino soon realized that it had only been a fleeting infatuation over Sasuke to herself, because he was such an unreachable goal. She liked being challenged, and the fact that he had been the only surviving member of the Uchiha clan immediately labeled him one of those 'mysterious loners'. Both were attractive qualities in the dreamy looking Sasuke.

With Sakura, however, Ino realized it had been real. Sakura had really loved Sasuke. To her it had been truly painful to see him go, choosing his revenge over her. Ino looked down at her hands. Would Sasuke's need for revenge take precedence again?

"Hey Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For insulting you? I'll do it more often then." Shikamaru teased.

Ino let out a small laugh. It was a horrible attempt, but it sufficed for the moment. She looked up at him. "You really are a lazy ass."

"Ino-pig."

"Lazy ass."

They walked back to camp, throwing insults at each other all the way.

* * *

When Itachi returned, he found Sakura asleep in his bed. She looked strangely peaceful, her bubblegum hair in stark contrast to the black of the sheets. The yukata, obi, and pants were folded carefully on the back of one of his chairs. From what Itachi could surmise from her almost bare shoulders, she wore the small sleeping gown he'd seen in her pack.

Itachi took off his shirt and cloak, leaving him in only his pants. He remained indifferent and emotionless as he slipped under the blankets with Sakura. When she didn't stiffen at the contact, he knew she was asleep. Otherwise, she was a very good liar.

He already knew she was furious with him. He'd have to keep up his guard during the night, in case she decided to make an escape attempt. Not that she'd get far—but he really didn't want to have to go searching for her in the middle of the night.

He looked up at the ceiling as he closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep. The drinks from earlier in the evening were helping tremendously. Still, he hadn't drunk too much. Unlike Kisame, Itachi knew when to stop.

"What, praytel, are you doing?"

Itachi didn't turn as Sakura shifted. So, she was awake. That meant she'd just been feigning sleep. What wonderful surprises his Sakura had in store for him. She was quite the little actress.

"I'm going to sleep in my bed, cherry blossom." The stress on the word 'my' was prominent for anyone to hear.

"I won't sleep with you."

"Then move."

"A gentleman would give the girl his bed."

Itachi merely smirked as he looked at Sakura's pale back, "When, my dear cherry blossom, have I ever given you any reason to believe I am a gentleman?"

Sakura merely sighed, as if she were dealing with a young child. "I won't sleep in this bed with you, bastard."

"As I said before, you can have the floor."

Suddenly the blanket was whipped off of them as Sakura pulled it around herself, plopping herself down on the floor with her pillow. "Fine."

Itachi stared at her for a moment with one perfect eyebrow raised before grabbing the blanket back. Sakura yelped slightly as the cold hit her bare skin, but she merely pulled her arms around her chest, watching Itachi, who was looking on in amusement.

"Goodnight cherry blossom." He then closed his eyes and waited. He had no doubt she would get back in the bed.

He heard her sigh slightly in annoyance and abhorrence. Still his keen ears caught the slight, breathless catch at the end. It only made him smirk, though he noticed with slight disappointment that she did not get back in the bed.

Sakura didn't fall sleep right away as she'd tried to make herself do. She'd merely lain there, listening to Itachi's light breathing. He'd gone to sleep almost immediately, his indifference of Sakura's presence almost visible. Sakura had merely simmered slightly at that. First he'd raped her, and then he'd just pushed her aside like nothing had happened.

_What, do you want him to rape you again, Sakura?_ An inner voice yelled.

_Maybe he's just tired of you already._ Another voice purred. _I guess the little cherry blossom wasn't as interesting as Itachi thought, ne?_

Sakura merely pushed both of her quarreling subconsciouses aside as she slowly turned her head from where she leaned against the wall, watching Itachi's sleeping form. She could tell by his even breathing that he was asleep, which only added to the knowledge that he wasn't afraid of her and didn't view her as a threat at all. It made Sakura frown as she watched him sleep.

It struck her as odd, the fact that he looked so much like Sasuke when asleep. _Almost innocent, _Inner Sakura laughed. Sakura allowed herself a small smile as she continued to watch him. She stood slowly, rubbing her arms up and down with her hands to get the warmth back in them as she padded softly over to the bed to watch him. His small exhalations made his long bangs stir and drift across his face.

Sakura resisted the urge to brush the locks of hair aside. If she did…she knew his resemblance to Sasuke would be perfect. As she roved her eyes over Itachi's face, she wondered about Sasuke. What did he look like now? She expected him to look similar to Itachi, without the lines, definitely, and with a warmer look in his eyes.

_Warmer? He's been with Orochimaru. Do you think he's going to be the same boy he used to be?_ Sakura bit her lip as she closed her eyes briefly, letting the small wave of pain and regret wash over her. She only hoped that Sasuke hadn't suffered too much underneath Orochimaru's sick training and tutelage.

He had been welcomed back into Konoha, she knew that much. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been with the others on the mission to rescue her. She was a little jealous that the others had been able to welcome him back before she had. She'd always dreamed of running into his arms as he walked through the gate, his old, cocky smile on his face. Sakura shook her head with a wry smile. That was never going to happen.

In fact, at the moment even seeing him again seemed like an impossible feat. She'd already tested the chakra bonds, knowing they were much too strong for her to break, especially in her state at the moment. _How many times did that idiot Kisame-teme drain me?_ Inner Sakura raged furiously, cursing the ex mist-nin.

Besides that, Sakura knew she wasn't going to be able to just sneak out of the compound, even without the chakra bonds. Itachi would wake up the moment she stepped out of the room, and she would never get away. Sakura inwardly shivered at the thought of what he'd do to her when he caught her. Not if. When.

Sakura looked down again to watch Itachi's face, and was met with red Sharingan eyes. She let out a small yelp as warmth crept into her cheeks. She merely returned his stoic gaze, though the blush covering her cheeks was endearing. She then went back to the wall and curled up against it again.

Itachi merely watched her amusedly. He'd been wondering how long it would take her to see he was awake. He just closed his eyes once more and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"Ne, Hinata-chan? Are you alright?" Naruto grinned happily as he leaned over, sitting down next to her. A small fire still stood in the middle of the group, though only a few embers still glowed.

Hinata looked up at him with a feeble smile, her cheeks turning bright red. She had just awoken from a very pleasant sleep when it had hit her, all the events of the passed few days. She'd felt the tears rushing to her eyes as she tried to hold them back, not wanting the others to see her cry. She wasn't a little girl anymore and she wasn't going to act like one.

"Hai…N-Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered as she took the canteen from him, taking a sip of cold water. It made her teeth ache but it was refreshing nonetheless. The mornings were beginning to get chilly, and a slight nip was in the air. Hinata remembered awakening slightly closer to Akamaru than the night before, probably because of her need for warmth.

Naruto nodded and smiled happily as Hinata handed him back the canteen. He took a sip himself and Hinata blushed. Her lips had just touched that canteen…it was almost as if they had kissed…

"Everyone, come here." Shikamaru ordered from where he sat with Neji, Kakashi, and Gai.

The others slowly surrounded them, looking down at the paper Shikamaru held in his hand.

"Apparently the fifth Hokage told the new Kazekage about Sakura's predicament. He is sending a group of ANBU as well to help."

Tenten couldn't help but snicker as she teased, "I bet _Temari_ is going to be in that group."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, though a small blush tinted his cheeks. "What makes you think that?"

"She's his second in command. In order to ensure a long lasting relationship with Konoha, the Sand Village will send some of their best as a…good-will gesture." Kakashi supplied.

"Whatever…"

"Let's get going." Neji snapped moodily, his pack already strapped to his back. "Once we finish combing the village for answers, we can meet the Sand ANBU at the indicated location."

"We all want to get Sakura-chan back as fast as we can, Neji, but you're pushing everyone too far…" Gai shook his head slightly as he and Kakashi stood, knowing it was pointless to argue with him.

Neji merely shifted his pack on his shoulder as he looked at the others.

"Come on everyone," Shikamaru sighed, "Let's get going."

Sasuke leaned back fully on the tree branch, his eyes hard as he stared into empty space. He, Shino, Lee, Gai, and Tenten were staying at the edge of the town, where they had set up their new camp.

Shino and Tenten were currently scouting out the area, making small concealment jutsus along the borders of the campsite. They were also looking for herbs that Ino had wanted for healing poultices, and a fresh water source.

Gai and Lee were training in the middle of the clearing, joking and laughing as they did so.

That annoyed Sasuke more than anything. This mission was serious and yet they were laughing. _Itachi is probably raping Sakura right now…_His inner voice crooned. _I bet he's enjoying every minute of it. Her pale skin…_

Sasuke looked up to watch Lee and Gai, trying to get the demon out of his head.

Her soft hair…

Sasuke gritted his teeth as anger rushed through his veins at the thought of Itachi touching Sakura.

Her lips…

Sasuke stood immediately, feeling the need to walk as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to do just that. Gai and Lee watched him go worriedly, but made no effort to stop him or ask where he was headed.

Sasuke kicked at the leaves on the path, angry with himself for letting those thoughts get to him. When with Orochimaru…he'd learned to shut himself off from all emotion. He hadn't even flinched when Orochimaru had explained to him in ample detail the many people who had been killed by his attack on Konoha. People Sasuke had known all his life, or at least had seen once or twice.

He'd rarely ever thought of Konoha after he had begun training. He never had time to dwell, but when he did…it had always been about two people. Itachi of course, and Sasuke's desire to kill him and avenge the clan. That one had been no surprise for Sasuke.

The other person that had occupied his thoughts however, had come as a shock. Sakura. He didn't know how many nights he had fallen asleep with her face in his mind, watching him thought tear filled eyes and begging him to stay. She hadn't stopped him, only asked him to reconsider.

And now Sakura was with Itachi. The woman he loved had been stolen by the man he had vowed to hate. Sasuke's hand clenched as he stared down at the dead leaf he had swiped from the air moments before. It now lay in a hundred broken pieces in his palm.

Well then, he'd be hitting two birds with one stone.

"Sasuke, what are you doing out here?" Tenten asked as she walked up to him, Shino behind her. She was carrying a pack of herbs, a smile on her face as she watched him warily.

Sasuke hadn't really expected anything much different. After his return to Konoha, he had expected to be locked in a prison for the rest of his life, or banned from ever becoming a shinobi again. Instead, he had been forgiven completely and sent to rescue Sakura. He supposed that the chaos that had ensued after Sakura's abduction was the reason for this. Still, all of the others watched him warily, all except Naruto.

Even Kakashi seemed to be keeping an eye on him, as if just waiting for him to turn into Orochimaru, or suddenly go on a killing spree. Neji…well Neji had never liked him. He hadn't expected him to change a bit. Sasuke's abrupt return had only seemed to heighten Neji's dislike and disdain for the Uchiha.

"Walking."

"Ah," Tenten nodded uncomfortably.

"It will snow tonight." Shino said from behind his shirt collar, which muffled his voice as always. "My insects are getting restless."

"We'd best gather some more firewood then, since we're going to be stuck out here all night while the others sleep in a _real_ hotel room." Tenten sighed as they came upon the camp.

Sasuke merely sat back down in the same spot as before as the others began starting a fire, since the chill in the air was already almost unbearable.

"All I know is that if Shikamaru and the others don't get any good information on Sakura-chan's whereabouts, I'm going to kill him for putting us through this."

Lee smiled cheerfully, "Surely these criminals will know all about the Akatsuki."

"Not all criminals discuss things with each other, Lee." Gai shook his head.

Tenten grinned, "What did you think Lee? That they just sat around in bars talking about the people they murdered and kidnapped and the stuff they stole?"

Lee frowned, "Maybe."

Tenten and Gai laughed, while Shino snorted. Sasuke did nothing as he closed his eyes, deciding to meditate for a little before he went on guard duty. He heard the others begin their other tasks as he breathed in deeply, then exhaled slowly.

For some reason, this did not help him calm his taught nerves. He felt warmth hit him as someone started the fire. However, this was nothing compared to the raging bonfire that was rushing through his body. For a moment the emotion didn't register, then he recognized it with surprised. It was anger, but not directed at Itachi. It was rage at Sakura.

His eyes clenched shut as he clenched his teeth. Why, even after so long, did Sakura have to be so weak as to get herself captured by Itachi? When would she ever learn?

* * *

Itachi looked down at Sakura in amusement. He had awoken many times in the middle of the night to check on her, noticing that each time she had made no move to get back on the bed, merely shivered in her sleep.

Now, however, Itachi merely raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Sakura was lying on the floor, Itachi's Akatsuki cloak wrapped around her. Itachi came to the conclusion that the cloak suited her, whether she wore it conventionally or not. The black merely accentuated the paleness of her skin, and the red brought out the bright pink of her hair.

She let out a small groan as she stretched, before her eyes fluttered open. The jade orbs seemed so out of place, next to all the red and black. Her eyes narrowed sleepily as she looked up at him with a small smile.

"_Sasuke-kun_?"

Itachi froze, his smile fading slightly as his eyes narrowed. Sakura had fallen back asleep, curling the blanket around her. Itachi watched her, wondering at this. So…she still thought only of Sasuke, even after the truth had been thrown into her face?

Itachi bent down, touching her shoulder softly, getting ready to shake her awake. He stopped as he heard her breathe out softly, hand reaching for the only heat source within range—him. She snuggled closer to him unconsciously, and Itachi couldn't help but smirk as he lifted her into his arms and placed her back on the bed and underneath the covers, before slipping the cloak on himself and heading out the door.

He reveled in the warmth that still remained from where it had circled around her body, and her scent, which permeated from it. A soft and almost undetectable floral aroma.

Almost like cherry blossoms.

* * *

Sakura awoke warm, like she had after grabbing Itachi's cloak. But it was different… Sakura immediately noticed that whatever she was wrapped in didn't smell like Itachi's cloak. His cloak had his scent mixed with the almost undetectable, metallic tang of blood. But whatever she was sleeping in now smelled like cleaning detergent, as well as the undertones of Itachi's scent. She had to admit, Itachi smelled nice when he wasn't covered in blood.

Sakura's eyes snapped open as she realized where she was. _That bastard put me back on the bed!_ She looked around, realizing he was not there. Neither was the cloak. She remembered waking up a lot during the night because of the cold, and had only wrapped herself in his cloak as a last resort only an hour or so before sunrise. That meant she hadn't been in the bed long. Still…he had no right…

_Oh but I do, Sakura. To bed you, to break you, to do anything I wish to do…_Itachi's voice crawled through her skull like a venomous snake, sinking it's fangs into her brain and pumping his hurtful, degrading poison into her. Sakura slipped off the bed, mulling as she walked into the bathroom.

Sakura took a shower thoughtfully this time, not frantically like before. She lathered her hair with shampoo calmly, musing. What was Itachi's problem? First he raped her, and then he threw her on the floor?

_Correction, Sakura, you willingly chose to sleep on the floor._ Her inner voice chided playfully. Sakura rolled her eyes as she slipped on her bra and underwear. As she stepped back into the bedroom, she stopped. Her yukata and the pants were dirty. She really didn't feel like putting them on. She turned to look at the other chair in the room and saw a cleanly folded, green kimono. Golden phoenixes climbed up it, with a rust colored obi with white flowers.

A note was placed atop the kimono:

_Sakura-san,_

_I realized you probably don't have many clothes at the moment, so I took the liberty to procure this for you. I hope you enjoy it. _

_Deidara_

_P.S. Please don't cut it up like you did Itachi's. I haven't exactly paid for it completely._

Sakura stared down at the kimono, not knowing what to do.

Sakura slipped on the kimono, noticing that the obi was a bit different than the one before. It wasn't the one for a single person to tie. She wondered exactly what she was going to do with it when there was a light knock on the door.

Sakura headed to the door warily, opening it a crack. It was Deidara.

"Deidara-san, good morning." She answered softly, trying to keep her voice even and emotionless.

"Hello Sakura-san. I see you're wearing the kimono I gave you, yeah." Deidara looked at the only sliver of her he could see and smiled, a small blush staining his cheeks. "Well, halfway, yeah."

Sakura couldn't help but smile slightly as she let out a small laugh. There was a moment of silence before Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Deidara-san, could you help me with something?"

"Ne?"

"I can't tie the obi by myself."

This time Deidara's blush was a bit more prominent. Sakura couldn't help but smile at the endearing look on his face. The blush made him look even _more_ like a girl!

"I guess I could help you with that, yeah."

Sakura slid the door open and he hesitantly walked inside. Sakura picked up the obi and handed it to him and he just stood there with it, as if he didn't want to slip it around her waist.

Sakura then realized what it was. "I won't tell Itachi."

"Ne?" Deidara looked up, startled, then smiled. "Oh. It's not that, yeah. I just…never mind." Deidara grinned as he slipped the obi around her stomach artfully, tying it quickly and efficiently before he dropped his hands back to his sides like dead weights.

"How did you get so good at tying obis?" Sakura asked curiously. An evil thought came to mind; _I bet he's had plenty of practice UNtying them._

"My sister often asked me to help her put on her kimonos, yeah." Deidara answered softly, and Sakura saw the small flash of pain cross his eyes before hiding behind his cheerful demeanor. A revelation about his childhood had been the last thing she had thought to get out of the ex stone-nin.

Sakura recognized his grin with a pang of guilt and loneliness. He looked just like Naruto like that. But…weren't the Akatsuki all heartless bastards? _They're still human, Sakura, as strange and unbelievable as that sounds._ Her ANBU voice reminded her.

Sakura looked down at the kimono on her, marveling at the silky softness. She smiled at Deidara. _Maybe the Akatsuki really aren't all that bad._

_Even Itachi?_

Sakura merely pursed her lips slightly before noticing that Deidara continued to watch her. "Ne, Deidara-san?"

Deidara seemed to be shaken out of his revelry as he nodded at her, "Would you like to come to the kitchen for breakfast? Sasori-san is probably there already, yeah."

"Hai." Sakura grinned, "Of course Deidara-san." She couldn't help it; she could already tell she was going to like Deidara. He was too much like Naruto.

Deidara held out his arm, and Sakura watched in surprise, raising an eyebrow. Deidara merely grinned wolfishly, "It's not often that I get to escort a pretty lady to dine with me, yeah."

Sakura let out a loud laugh as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, "Deidara-san, has anyone told you that you're a lady charmer?"

"Many times."

Sakura let out another peal of laughter as she and Deidara headed down the hall. For a moment the thought that Itachi would be furious when he learned of her being with Deidara crossed her mind, before she pushed it aside.

She didn't give a damn about how he felt.

* * *

Neji walked down the street with Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kakashi. Shikamaru was silent as they trudged on, their cloaks bound tightly around their bodies.

Kakashi, on the other hand, continued commenting on everything, as if he were trying to keep himself busy, and Naruto kept growling about how his stomach hurt and could he please get some ramen now?

Shikamaru sighed inwardly. _He's probably trying to keep himself from thinking about Sakura._ He then turned to the brooding Neji. _And he won't allow anything to get in the WAY of his thinking of Sakura._ Shikamaru sighed once more. _What a drag…_

At the moment Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto, and Kakashi were alone on the street besides the other residents of the village. The other shinobi who had come with them, however, were either in the hotel room where they had been booked for the night, or scouting out the town in pairs of twos and threes.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?" Kakashi said cheerfully. "I do believe it will snow."

"I hate the snow." Shikamaru groaned, letting himself get dragged into a pointless conversation with the older shinobi. "There's nothing special about it. It's just frozen water."

"Don't you just love the crisp, refreshing air?"

"It's _freezing_."

"You know, for an ANBU captain you sure complain a lot." Ino muttered as she and Hinata walked up to them. Both of them were dressed in kimonos, getting ready for the night's festivities in which they would try and gain information at one of the bars.

"Che." Shikamaru grunted. "I thought I told you that we're suppose to stay away from each other. You're going to blow our cover."

Ino frowned, "Do you see those guys over there?" She looped her arm in his. Shikamaru peered out of the corner of his eye at a group of men standing inside a building, watching the girls interestedly.

"Yeah."

"They've been leering at us for twenty or so minutes. It's making Hinata-chan uncomfortable. I just want them to see that we have big, strong men to protect us." She gushed the last part and fluttered her eyelashes. Shikamaru rolled his eyes. The day Hinata and Ino would need someone to protect them from common thugs was the day pigs flew. _Too bad Sasuke isn't here, ne Ino-chan? Then you could hang on HIS arm, _Shikamaru teased inwardly, knowing he would never say those words to Ino out loud. Not unless he had a death wish. Besides, he knew that Ino didn't have feelings for the Uchiha anymore.

"Well then Hinata-chan, I suppose I can escort you for a while." Naruto grinned as he slung an arm around Hinata's waist.

Kakashi let out a small chuckle, "Hey Naruto, would you like to read Icha Icha Paradise for some inspiration?"

Hinata blushed a deep red, and surprisingly, so did Naruto as Ino and Kakashi burst into laughter.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Was Kakashi actually joking about Naruto and Hinata's _relationship_? _Man, _Shikamaru shook his head, _he really is going insane._

Neji merely turned back to the road, trying to distance himself from the two happy 'couples' and Kakashi. The others let him walk ahead and he did so quickly, eyes narrowed and head bent slightly to keep out the chill gusts of wind.

_Sakura…_

A small splash of cold liquid hit his nose. He shook his head slightly, watching the melted snowflake drop to the ground.

"It's snowing!" Ino gasped in delight.

"I told you it was beautiful." Kakashi commented.

"_Ne, Neji-kun, don't you just love the snow? I love making snow angels. It's hard to make them come out just right." Sakura laughed as she twirled around in the snow. Neji watched her contentedly, marveling at the sparkle in her eyes. He hadn't seen her so happy in a long time._

_It was also strange to see her in normal clothing, instead of her shinobi outfit. She was wearing a large tan coat and a black scarf that covered her face. She also wore black mittens and a long black skirt, topped off with fir-trimmed boots of crème color._

_Sakura leaned back in the snow bank, the white powder taking flight as she did so. Sakura let out another contented sigh as she began making a snow angel. "Naruto and I used to make these all the time. We'd help each other out of the snow so we could make the angels perfect." _

_Neji watched her closely. This was the first time she'd spoken of Naruto in a year. It was strange to hear his name, since everyone had refrained from speaking about him and Sasuke in front of Sakura._

_Sakura sat up, pulling her legs to her chest as she looked up at him, "Oi, don't tell me you've never made a snow angel before, Neji-kun."_

_Neji raised an eyebrow as he shook his head. _

_Sakura gasped as she stood, forgetting her own snow angel and ruining the outline in the process. "Never?" Another shake._

_Sakura grabbed Neji's arm with her gloved hands, dragging him to an unblemished pile of snow. "Well, there's a first chance for everything."_

_Neji stopped in his tracks, shaking his head as he pulled back slightly._

_Sakura sighed, pouting. The look was so endearing that Neji decided to continue to be difficult for a bit longer. Sakura noticed this with another frown._

"_Come on." Sakura ordered, tugging on his sleeve._

"_Iie."_

"_Please?"_

_Neji merely shook his head with a small smile playing on his lips. _

_Sakura sighed deeply before a mischievous smile crossed her own lips, "Very well Neji-kun." Then she pushed forward, sending them both careening into the snow. Sakura let out a loud laugh as they tumbled down the small hill. _

_When they finally reached the bottom they were in a tangled heap, Sakura's legs beneath Neji's, their upper halves beside each other on the embankment. Neji merely watched Sakura, who was grinning at him. The pure white snowflakes that dotted her hair sparkled and glistened in the sunlight, almost as much as her pure green eyes. _

_A strange notion came over Neji as he bent forward slightly, brushing a lock of pink hair out of Sakura's eyes. Sakura stilled, letting out a small breath as she watched him curiously. _

_Then he brought his lips down to meet hers. When they met, Sakura let out a surprise gasp against his mouth. Neji marveled at the warmth and softness of them, wishing to bite the slightly fuller lower lip and feel her tremble. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and the kiss only lasted for a few seconds before Neji pulled back._

_They stayed that way for a moment, Sakura staring at him in confusion. _

"_N-Neji?" Sakura then slipped out from under him quickly, eyes flashing. "Ne, Neji-san, what the hell were you thinking?" Tears rushed to her eyes as she rushed away through the trees to Konoha. _

_Neji merely stared after her, eyes hurt and confused, until he realized what he had just done. Sakura had never been kissed before, and her first kiss was something she had been cherishing and hoping for from someone other than Neji. _

_She had saved her first kiss for Sasuke Uchiha and Neji had just stolen it. _

Neji stuffed his hands in his pockets as Shikamaru pulled him from his musings.

"Neji, we're heading back to the hotel. Come on. We're going to come back tonight." Shikamaru seemed to be uncomfortable with Ino hanging on his arm, but she made no motion to let go. The men were still watching her and Hinata, and she was crushing his arm in her steel like grip.

Naruto merely pulled Hinata closer to him, shooting a disgusted glance at the men in the building before whispering something to Hinata who merely smiled and nodded. He grinned as he noticed Shikamaru's predicament, _Good thing Temari isn't here. She'd have kicked Ino's butt all the way back to Konoha—and then done the same to Shikamaru! _Kakashi then began commenting on the weather again.

Neji followed the others back to the hotel slowly. It had been a while since he had thought of that moment with Sakura. She had stopped calling him Neji-kun after that, going back to the honorific title of san. For a few days she had avoided him completely, and he had left a flower on her doorstep with a note of apology.

Then she had asked to meet him again in private, giving him a large hug and grinning, holding a flower she bought just for him.

_Ne, Neji-san. We can still be friends? _

Neji let out a small sigh. They'd shared a few more affectionate moments beyond a simple squeeze after that. Once on a mission they'd had to huddle together for warmth, and Sakura had allowed him to put his arms around her waist as she'd leaned against him. They'd stayed that way the entire night and well into the morning, even after the chill had lifted.

But they had never kissed again other than Sakura giving him a playful peck on the cheek. But Neji wanted more than chaste kisses.

He'd never be satisfied with friendship where Sakura was concerned.

**(AN: Whew. Lots of emotion. I needed some happiness, so that's why Hinata and Naruto finally got together. This IS a Sakura romance fic, but that doesn't mean that no one else CAN get together. I mean everyone else isn't just going to stop falling in love because it's Sakura's turn. More Deidara in the next chapter.)**


	5. Chapter 4: Akasuna no Sasori vs Deidara

**Chapter 4**

**Akasuna no Sasori vs. Deidara: The Definition of Art**

Sakura and Deidara sat down in the kitchen and Sakura immediately became uncomfortable. Kisame and Itachi had gone off on their mission, as well as Zetsu and the other man whom Sakura had recognized as the infamous Tomokazu, though she hadn't really gotten to know him. She hadn't wished to either.

It was only Sasori, not eating anything in front of him, as if he were waiting for Deidara and Sakura to arrive before beginning. He nodded at Sakura and she smiled back feebly, though she didn't know what to say. Sasori had a strange air about him, one of someone who wasn't entirely human…

"Ne Sakura-san, what would you like? I promise we've checked it for poison, yeah." Deidara laughed.

"Just some tea Deidara-san, if that's alright." Sakura said offhandedly as she sat down on the opposite side of the table as Sasori.

"Good morning Haruno-san." Sasori nodded at her politely.

"Oh," Sakura looked up at him with a small smile. When she did, she realized he had called her Haruno-san, like Neji often did. It was strange to hear her name like that from someone other than him. "Good morning Sasori-san."

"Here you are Sakura-san!" Deidara entered the room playfully with two cups and a plate of ohagi.

"Ohagi?"

"Sweets for the sweet." Deidara grinned. Sasori rolled his eyes slightly as he gave him a 'are you completely insane?' look.

Sakura laughed softly, "Arigato Deidara-san." She picked up her hot tea, letting the warmth seep into her fingers. They fell into a comfortable silence. Soon, however, it began to stretch too long for comfort. Sakura shifted slightly as she tried to think of something to talk about.

"It's getting cold outside, ne?"

"Hai." Deidara nodded. "It's supposed to snow tonight, yeah."

"I love the snow…" Sakura smiled thoughtfully, her eyes glazing as she remembered a time long ago, leaving the two Akatsuki to watch her in wonder and curiosity.

"I love the way the moonlight glistens off the snow, yeah." Deidara nodded to himself, watching her. "It's in those solemn moments that true art shows itself."

Sasori snorted.

Sakura looked up from her musings, eyebrows raised. "Nani?"

Deidara grinned. "Sasori and I are waging a continual war of opinions on art. Sasori here believes it is something that lasts forever…that true beauty stands against time, yeah."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully, "And what do you think, Deidara-san?"

Deidara took a sip of his tea. Sasori merely shook his head, as if he had heard the answer many times before. Sakura leaned in closer to listen attentively.

"Nothing lasts forever, yeah."

Sakura froze, the words strikingly true. Her excited gaze turned solemn as she turned this new revelation over in her mind. It was strange, how such a tremendous thing could be surmised in only three words—four if you counted Deidara's trademark 'yeah'.

"Art and beauty are instantaneous. Beauty is like an explosion of life, a single shooting star…" Deidara turned to Sakura with a meaningful glance, "A dazzling smile, yeah."

Sakura shook her head with a laugh. "Deidara-san, do you get all your women this way?"

Deidara feigned surprise. "Nani, Sakura-san? What on earth are you talking about, yeah?"

Sasori intervened. "Iie, Haruno-san. Most women would have slapped him and stormed out after the first clichéd pickup line."

Deidara pretended to feel insulted as Sakura let out a happy laugh, surprised at Sasori and Deidara's humor.

"Art and beauty are perfection." Sasori continued, watching Sakura with his cold gaze. "Without perfection, can we truly perceive beauty?"

"Bah." Deidara grunted. "Art and beauty are the _semblance_ of perfection. Art is merely the road…while perfection is the destination. One cannot reach perfection without first discovering and understanding art, yeah."

Sasori let out a loud sigh. "You are truly pathetic. I will agree, however, that you are somewhat correct. The path must be walked upon, but perfection is not the end."

"Oh? And what IS at the end, yeah?"

"Beauty."

"Are they not the same?" Sakura furrowed her brow as she waited for his answer with anticipation.

"Iie." Sasori shook his head, his bangs hanging in front of his eyes. "They are not." He didn't continue further on the subject, so Sakura let it drop. She didn't want to anger any of them, especially not Sasori. He was strange and mysterious to her, like Itachi. She couldn't quite figure him out. There was something strange about him, however, that she was going to discover whether it killed her.

_And it probably will,_ Her inner voice said cheerfully.

"Ne," Deidara coughed, not liking the silence. "Sakura-san, I meant to ask you, how are you feeling today?" Deidara immediately cursed himself for his stupidity. He knew only too well how she must have been feeling. Kidnapped and held against her will by the infamous Akatsuki…being used as bait to lure one of her good friends to his death…and being in the hands of Itachi… Deidara's eyes narrowed slightly. Well, he supposed it could have been worse. Tomokazu could have captured her. The thought made Deidara inwardly flinch. But how did he THINK she would be feeling?

He looked to see Sakura's small smile fade, and the flicker of happiness in her eyes go out like a candle. She stared down at her hands for a moment, fingers digging into the silky kimono fabric. Why did Deidara have to bring those things up? Sakura would have been perfectly happy just forgetting for a moment—and that's what frightened her.

_What on earth am I doing!?!?_ She stared down at her trembling fingers. _These men are my enemies. I am here to gain information from them and get back to my village. I am being held AGAINST MY WILL! Why on earth am I drinking tea and laughing with them? It's just like with Itachi! Sometimes I think he's an ass but he's so much like Sasuke that it hurts and then he goes and does something completely out of character that I can't help but—_Sakura stopped herself. Can't help but what? Love him? No, she didn't think that would be possible. It was just his semblance to her long lost Sasuke…that and only that.

_But that still doesn't explain your recent behavior, Sakura-chan!_ Her inner voice lectured. _Fraternizing with the enemy, that's what it's called. Laughing with Deidara like that—that man murdered Shinta!_

_Shinobi die on missions all the time…they die…they…shinobi…_A quieter voice whispered almost pleadingly, as if trying to convince her that it was right. _I mean…someday, another mission…would Shinta have made it?_

And then an eerily familiar voice, laughing with cold amusement, unearthed itself. _He would have died soon, cherry blossom. He wasn't strong enough. That's what happens to weaklings. They die. Such people shouldn't even be shinobi._

Then her ANBU voice spoke. _Itachi's right in a way Sakura. You should have realized that Shinta wouldn't be strong enough to be ANBU yet. You shouldn't have let him on your team._

_It's all your fault._

Sakura looked up, eyes filled with tears as she hurriedly stood.

Deidara looked at her, worry and guilt in his eyes. "Ne Sakura-san. I'm sorry...yeah."

"I have to go." Sakura whispered through a throat choked with tears. "I…" She then hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sasori watched the entire exchange, turning to the hurt Deidara.

"You should have known better."

"Dammit Sasori, don't you think I don't know that, yeah?" Deidara snapped back before he realized what he had done. He let out a sigh, "Ne, Sasori, there I go again, talking before I think."

"Why do you worry yourself so much with her?" Sasori questioned.

Deidara looked up with a confused look on his face. "What do you mean? I just…she isn't like anyone I've ever met before, yeah."

"You feel affection for her, and that leads to your need to protect her from hurt, even from the things you say." Sasori nodded slowly. "But I must remind you. We are Akatsuki."

"That doesn't mean we have to be bastards, yeah."

"It means we must be shinobi above all else."

Deidara looked away, standing with a sigh. "Oi, Sasori, why do you always have to be right, yeah? But it's hard. She's too…"

"Too much like your sister?"

Deidara looked sharply at Sasori, before his gaze softened.

"…Yeah…"

_

* * *

__Ne Sakura-chan, what kind of an idiot are you?_ Sakura cursed herself, leaning back against the wall of Itachi's room. She slid down slowly to the floor, shoulders shaking as tears filled her eyes. 

"It is all my fault…everything. If I had been stronger, smarter…if I had been…been more like Sasuke and the others…" Sakura bit her lip. "I could have stopped all of this from happening…"

She looked around the room that had been her prison cell. It was strange, how comfortable and welcoming it seemed. She didn't know why. The room wasn't in bright colors, and there were no potted plants or pictures on the walls. It was just…a room. And then it struck her why she was comfortable in it. It was just like hers.

She had recently moved to an apartment, after convincing her parents that since she was eighteen now, she deserved to live on her own. After all, Naruto had already had his own apartment for years…and Sasuke…well he'd lived alone for a long while.

Ino had helped her pick out the apartment building, telling her that it had to have a nice view of Konoha. She'd just begun unpacking her things before the retrieval mission. She'd been so busy with other missions; she hadn't had time to unpack before then. The only things out had been her bed, with it's dark blue sheets and blanket…and her books and scrolls. Just like Itachi's room. Only her's…her's wasn't intentionally so.

Sakura's head snapped up. Her parents. What on earth were they thinking at this moment? Where they worried for her, hysterical? Her mother was probably still crying her eyes out. Her father…he'd be raving around the room, cursing at the Shinobi and telling them to find his daughter faster. Sakura looked down at her upturned palms.

_I didn't know that so many people were connected to me._ She managed a bleak smile. Ino, Hinata, and Tenten…They'd all become close friends after Naruto's departure. Girls' nights out had been fun and hilarious.

Tsunade-dono, who had been like a second mother to her, and Shizune, who had helped teach her medical techniques when Tsunade was too busy.

Lee, who had been a wonderful friend, helping to perk her up when she was falling deeper and deeper into depression. Who had loved her all along, risking his life to protect her.

Kiba, her ANBU squad mate, who was as loyal to his friends as Akamaru was to him.

Shikamaru, her fellow captain who often bantered with her, discussing new jutsus and scrolls, while they both had arguments with Shino over certain techniques.

Choji, who had often tricked her into treating him to a meal, which would end in her practically going into debt.

Iruka-sensei, who had been her first shinobi teacher, boosting her confidence with praises of her intelligence.

Gai-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, all of which had helped them on respective missions, who had offered her tutelage and support from the beginning.

Shinta, Aarriko, and Sato, who had looked up to her with mingled awe and respect when they'd first been assigned under her, then boyish teasing as they grew to know her. They'd never doubted her orders.

Neji…who had been more than a friend to her in her dark times, helping to hold her head above the water so she could finally breathe again. Who was always there to help ease her worries with his calm demeanor.

Kakashi-sensei…the man whom she considered as much her father as her biological one. He'd always been there, sharing in her pain and misery. He'd been the only one to truly know how she felt when Sasuke left, then Naruto.

Naruto…that hyperactive idiot who could make her smile no matter what. Always there, always ready to help. Always ready to make sure she was ok and protected…

And lastly…Sasuke.

There was nothing to be said.

* * *

Sasori walked down the hallway, trying to remain silent, which wasn't hard to do. Deidara was in his own room, probably still berating himself for his foolish mistakes. He didn't understand why Deidara felt so much for the young woman. She was beautiful, and truly fascinating, but Sasori had never let such things get to him before, so he wouldn't start now.

But Deidara…he just let too many people get to him. He was looking at Sakura and seeing his sister. He was trying to make a comparison where there was none. Not truly. Of course, Sasori had never met Deidara's sister. But what he had heard of her from him, she didn't seem much like Sakura.

She hadn't been a shinobi, apparently, and had been killed when an enemy shinobi had been looking to assassinate Deidara. She'd apparently been pretty and graceful, and kind and loving.

In other words: weak.

Sasori shook his head as he continued down the hallway. Sakura was not weak. She was nothing like Deidara's sister, aside from the fact that they were both apparently breathtaking. Sakura had an inner strength that Sasori felt even after all of Kisame's drainings.

Also, she was smarter than most. He'd noticed this from the way she had checked her food for poison a few nights before, as well as the way she carefully chose her words before answering, and listened intently to get as much information as she could. He'd also felt it when she'd tried to break Itachi's chakra bond. The hand signs she had used had been so complex…if she'd have had all her chakra, the bond would have been nonexistent.

Suddenly a bird fluttered down onto the windowsill, watching Sasori patiently. Sasori walked over to it, taking the small note attached to its foot and unraveling it to read. It was from Itachi.

_Sasori,_

_Something has come up. Kisame and I will be later than previously thought. Make sure Haruno does not try to escape._

Sasori merely nodded to himself at this. He had figured as much. It seemed that Itachi and Kisame's mission would take them more than a day. As he skimmed the next few lines, his eyes widened, and then narrowed in shock.

_Keep her away from Tomokazu. If he gets near her, Sasori, I will hold you responsible. _

Sasori took the note to the small fire in the kitchen, throwing it onto the flames. The note was destroyed quickly. Sasori, however, continued to watch the flames as the ashes fell to the bottom of the fire.

So…Itachi was finally realizing that Tomokazu was a threat.

Sasori had known this for a long time. Tomokazu held loyalties to no one, and sometimes the others wondered if he'd defy Leader's orders soon. He had already killed his former partner. Now Zetsu was the unlucky one to have been paired with him.

Tomokazu had always wanted to fight Itachi and see which of them were the stronger. Apparently he had a strange blood limit technique that was as powerful as the mangekou. Itachi had never viewed him as anything more than a pesky hindrance, until now apparently.

But would Tomokazu really try and steal Sakura just to anger Itachi and get him to fight him? …Or would he do it for more sinister reasons?

* * *

Hinata and Ino waked calmly down the street. Ino shivered involuntarily. It was freezing. She blew into her cupped hands in an effort to warm them. It was now night, and the festivities were about to begin. Hinata and Ino had been sent to one of the bars to gain information, with Kiba and Akamaru as a guard in the distance, in case something happened.

Shikamaru had purposely kept both Naruto and Neji from this task. They knew that Naruto would get jealous the moment he saw anyone talking to Hinata, and Neji was sworn to protect the main branch with his life, and he would not forget that mission.

"Ne, Ino-chan…D-do you think…do you th-think we'll find any information on S-Sakura-chan?"

Ino turned to look at the expectant Hinata. She frowned, "Of course we will! Someone here has to know about the Akatsuki."

"R-right."

Ino sighed, "Don't worry Hinata-chan…listen…I wanted to say I was sorry." She rubbed the back of her neck as she blushed. "For last night. I didn't mean it. I was just…I was just scared of what could be happening to Sakura-chan."

"I…I kn-know." Hinata nodded as she answered in her soft voice. "I'm worried too."

"She'll be fine." Ino whispered fervently, grinning feebly at Hinata-chan. "We've seen her train. She's a great kunoichi now. She'll have no problem fighting them all off. We'll find her and rescue her and we'll all go back to Konoha together."

"Hai…"

Ino looked up to see they were nearing the bar. "Alright Hinata-chan, time to put on our best poker faces. While those boys get to ask questions outright, we have to play the helpless female. I already made a bet with Shikamaru-kun. I said we'd find out more than they would, so don't prove me wrong, Hinata-chan!"

"H-Hai Ino-chan." Hinata stuttered, surprised at the sudden change in Ino's demeanor. She knew she was trying to keep her mind off of Sakura, and Hinata tried to do the same.

They entered the bar amid a small crowd, the heat enveloping them immediately. It was much different than the abandoned, cold streets. Inside, it seemed as if all the townspeople had come into this one building. Ino wondered how they'd all fit.

"Where d-do we start?" Hinata whispered fearfully. "I-I don't know if I c-can do th-this."

"You can, Hinata-chan. Remember, it's for Sakura-chan!" Ino smiled brightly. "Besides, Kiba-kun and Akamaru are watching us. We're safe."

"H-h-hai."

Ino walked over to the bar, leaning against it with a saucy smile, Hinata sitting down on a stool more demurely. The bartender looked them over with a small smile, "Anything for the young ladies?"

Hinata looked to Ino with dismay. They weren't old enough to drink! Ino merely nodded, "Hai. Two sake cups please." Hinata gasped in alarm. Ino couldn't help but inwardly grin as the man nodded, placing two cups on the table and filling them.

Ino grabbed hers with a grin, nodding at Hinata before downing it all in one gulp. She almost choked, but managed not to as she let out a small laugh. "N-ne Hinata-chan. Go on."

Hinata stared down at the drink, and then took a small sip. She let out a slight choke as the liquid rushed down her throat. She blinked a few times as Ino broke into giggles.

"Hello there ladies." A man leaned on the bar next to him, grinning. "What brings you here? I haven't seen you in the village before."

Hinata blushed, "Well…uh…w-we—"

"We're looking for someone." Ino interjected. "Her lover." Ino heard Hinata let out a horror-struck gasp.

"Oh?' The man's eyebrow raised as he slipped an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "Now, now, little lady. Why do you need to find him when you could have your pick of us here? I promise I can be just as wonderful as your dear lover."

"I'm afraid my friend is a bit more traditional." Ino began quickly, not liking where this was going. "Besides, he's not someone to be crossed."

The man looked at her in doubt as Hinata pled with her with her eyes. "Oh? And just who is he?"

"Deidara of the Akatsuki."

The entire bar went silent. Everyone turned to look at them and the man holding onto Hinata immediately let go.

"I'm sorry miss. I…er…I had no idea. I mean…you don't have to tell him that anything happened…I mean…uh…you don't have to involve the Akatsuki…"

"Have you seen him?" Ino questioned as she pouted, a worried look on her face. "Poor Hinata-chan has been worried sick about him. He's been away on missions and all that the other Akatsuki members knew was that he was near this village."

"Oh!" The man nodded rigorously. "Hai! Hai. Deidara-dono and his partner Sasori-dono are both near here, in a small manor outside of town. It's a day or so away. I don't know how to get there though. No one does. I'm sorry I can't tell you anymore…but…I have to go!" The man then sped out of the bar.

Ino looped her arm with Hinata's, who was still looking at her in a daze. "Well then." She handed a few coins to the bartender, but he shook them off.

"No need for Deidara-dono's mistress to pay. Please, it's on the house."

Ino shrugged, "Thank you." She then led Hinata into the cold air. She grinned at her, while Hinata looked at her, still dumbstruck.

"I think I'm going to win the bet, Hinata-chan."

* * *

Shikamaru, Naruto, and Neji sat down at the bar on the other side of the village, eyes peeled and ears tuned for any information at all.

Naruto fidgeted in his seat, turning his beer bottle over and over in his hand. "Ne, Shikamaru, why did the girls have to dress like that and _act_ like that?"

Shikamaru groaned, "So troublesome." He didn't touch his drink, and neither did Neji. Shikamaru saw that Naruto wasn't going to take no for an answer, so he began explaining. He was almost mollified that Naruto was still so childish and oblivious.

"Naruto, you think Hinata is pretty, don't you?"

"Hai."

"Well, so would someone else. That's the point. Kunoichi have a certain advantage in information gathering than regular shinobi do."

Naruto stared at him, his face strangely blank. "Hinata-chan isn't going to _seduce_ someone is she?"

Shikamaru waved his hands in a flustered gesture, "Maa maa, Naruto. She's not going to seduce anyone. Hopefully it will never get to that."

"How could a girl do that?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Did Sakura-chan ever do that?"

"-Sigh-Naruto, of course she did. She's a kunoichi." Shikamaru spoke slowly, as if he were speaking to a little child. "The first thing women shinobi learn when they become Chûnin is how to use their body and looks to get information."

"She SLEPT with someone?"

"No!" Shikamaru snapped back, trying to get Naruto to calm down as Neji glared at them from across the room. "Teme, just shut up, ne? Sakura-san never slept with anyone."

"Ok…" Naruto let out a relieved breath. Then his head snapped up. "Hinata-chan never slept with anyone, did she?"

"

No Naruto!" Shikamaru growled. "Just shut up, ne?" Naruto was getting on his last nerve, and that wasn't a good thing to do. Also, he was riding the line with Neji, and he was getting perilously close to the edge. The last thing Shikamaru needed was for Neji to kill Naruto.

Shikamaru was just glad that Kakashi and Choji were guarding the hotel to see if anyone had dropped any information to the Akatsuki about their arrival, and if the Akatsuki would come and check this new threat. The last thing he needed was Kakashi joking with Naruto and telling him in wonderful detail the role of kunoichi in the shinobi world, or having Choji eat the bar out of house and home.

So far they had gained barely any information at all. And Shikamaru was going to lose his bet with Ino fast. _Damn… I wish Temari and her team were here…_Shikamaru inwardly sighed. He had no doubt that Temari could seduce every single man in this bar and have them begging on their knees to give her information. Shikamaru blushed, thinking about Temari. _Che. Another bossy woman. _He already had to deal with Ino, and having to spend his entire shinobi days with her was tasking.

"Ne, Shikamaru—look!" Naruto gasped out as Hinata and Ino walked into the bar.

Just then the man beside Shikamaru began shaking. "Oh no…not them." Shikamaru sweat dropped. _What has Ino done now?_ The man turned to Shikamaru and Naruto.

"That girl, the one with the dark hair, she's Deidara of the Akatsuki's mistress!"

"WHAT!?" Naruto growled out, shooting out of his seat. Shikamaru placed a hand on his shoulder, shooting him a warning glance.

"Really?"

The man nodded as Ino and Hinata filtered through the crowd. Apparently, word of Hinata's 'position' had gotten around, and the crowd parted for them instantly. Naruto turned to look at Hinata and noticed something different. Instead of the usual shy air around her, there was one of mystery and allure. She looked like a woman who knew what she liked and how to get it. That made Naruto blush.

"Yeah." The man nodded. "Apparently she's looking for him at the moment. He must have left for a mission and hasn't come back in time for her liking." The man let out a dry laugh. "I'd hate to make that woman angry. She just looks dangerous. And her little friend too." He motioned to Ino, who was flirting openly with a few men, asking them questions in their ears with a sultry laugh.

Shikamaru shook his head. _I think I lost the bet._ He still had his hand on Naruto, who was still bristling with anger. _What kind of story did you make up Ino? Deidara's MISTRESS!?!?!_

The man returned to his drink, and Shikamaru noticed that all the men in the room were eyeing Hinata and Ino. However, they tried to remain distant and aloof, as if afraid. Of course, messing with an Akatsuki's mistress was probably a one way ticket to pain.

Shikamaru turned to see Neji staring at his cousin in doubt, wondering what on earth she was doing. Shikamaru was thinking the same thing. He would have a long talk with Ino when this was over with.

Speaking of Ino, she was having fun flirting with the men, asking them subtle questions that they didn't even know they were answering as they stared at her chest. They also didn't seem to realize that anyone who was familiar with the Akatsuki should have known all this to begin with._  
_

Suddenly a very drunken man by his appearance sauntered up to Hinata. "'Eh miss, you shuur you wanna hang wif those Akatsuki? I may no' be able to throw knives bu' I go' a tool as hard as any man's!"

Neji and Naruto both began their way towards the defenseless drunken man. Shikamaru almost pitied him. But before either could get there, Hinata turned to him with a bored gaze.

She gave a slow smile, her soft voice elegant, "I like my men dangerous, sir. I doubt you could…live up to standards." She glanced meaningfully at his pant line before motioning to a dumbstruck Ino that they were leaving. The crowd parted once more.

Neji, Naruto, and Shikamaru all turned to look at each other. Shikamaru and Naruto were open mouthed in shock, while Neji managed to hide his surprise for the most part.

Shikamaru shook his head. _What kind of pep talk did Ino GIVE Hinata?_ He needed a drink. Naruto was a step ahead of him as he picked up his beer and downed it. He then blinked a few times, as if he were trying to decide whether or not he had just seen Hinata, or some seductive look-a-like.

Neji then motioned for both Shikamaru and Naruto to come outside. They all knew that Hinata and Ino must have gotten some good information. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left so quickly. The moment they left the warm bar, they were surrounded by freezing cold wind—and the snowflakes continued to drift down onto the ground.

* * *

Sakura stared out the window of Itachi's room, her gaze thoughtful and sad. Her elbows leaned against the pane, and her face was red with cold. The small gusts of chilly wind blew her hair across her face, as well as tiny snowflakes. She was wrapped in Itachi's extra Akatsuki cloak she had found in a trunk beneath his bed. It was very warm. The only place where she felt the chill was her face and neck, and she didn't mind that. She loved the snow.

She let out a small sigh. She hoped she hadn't hurt Deidara's feelings too bad. Even after talking to herself and reasoning with herself, she couldn't stop herself from liking him—and Sasori, to a degree.

She heard laughter from further on outside and her eyebrows knotted in confusion as she leaned out the window to look.

SMACK.

Sakura yelped as she fell out the window, feeling the cold snow hit her square in the face. She landed in a tangled heap on the ground, spitting out snow as she shakily sat up.

"You have to be quicker than that Sakura-san, yeah."

Sakura looked up, startled to see Deidara standing in front of her, a snowball in hand. She then looked down at the ground with a malicious grin as she scooped a handful of snow. She looked up at him with a smile that stated all was forgiven.

"Think fast Deidara-san!"

Then she launched the snowball.

* * *

Sakura let out a small sigh as she looked at Deidara. They had finished their snowball fight—they'd called a truce after both sides had finally run out of steam—and were now contemplating on what to do next. Sakura rubbed her freezing hands from beneath her mittens, hoping to warm them as she blew into them.

"Are you cold, Sakura-san?"

"Hai, but I'll be fine, Deidara-san." Sakura grinned at him. "Once we find something to do I'll get warm."

"Hai." Deidara nodded, realizing she hadn't even noticed the invitation she had just given him. She really was innocent.

Sakura stood, brushing the snow off of her kimono. She smiled as she turned back to Deidara. "I haven't made a snowman in a long time."

Deidara couldn't help but grin. "Let's make one then, yeah."

Sakura began rolling snow for the body, but soon Deidara had to help her as it became too large for just one person. When it was a good three feet in diameter, Sakura pronounced it fit to be the base.

Then they began making the snowman's middle. When they finished, Deidara made to begin the head, but Sakura shook her head.

"I'll do the head, Deidara-san. You begin putting the other two circles together."

Deidara nodded as he began smoothing the edges, making the balls slide into each other. Sakura came over with the head, her arms full as she stood on her toes to rest it on top. She then began smoothing the head onto the rest of the body.

They worked in silence, but it was a comfortable one.

Deidara looked at their work with a grin, "Ne, Sakura-san. He needs a face, yeah. I don't think Sasori-san will like us stealing any carrots from the kitchen, yeah."

Sakura nodded, but then she stopped, "You can mold the face."

"Snow is different than clay, yeah." Deidara argued, but when he saw Sakura's entreating look, he smiled as he began molding a face into the snow.

"I'll go get him some clothes."

Deidara watched her go back inside the window, rummaging around in Itachi's room. Deidara almost cringed at the thought of Itachi coming back with half of his things on a snowman.

When Sakura came back out, arms laden with some clothing, she stopped. Deidara had carved a perfect face into the snowman. He looked _human_. Deidara had even done hair!

Sakura gasped in delight as Deidara blushed. "Deidara-san, it's beautiful! He looks real!"

"It was nothing, yeah." Deidara rubbed the back of his neck as he kicked at the ground.

Sakura then slipped a scarf around the snowman's neck, and then furrowed her brows. "He doesn't look right yet…" She then grinned as she slipped off her Akatsuki cloak and placed it on the snowman. "There!"

"He's a real Akatsuki, yeah." Deidara agreed jokingly.

Sakura nodded. "One more thing…" She slipped off her headband, placing it on the snow ninja's head.

After they finished, both of them stepped back to admire their work.

"He's pretty intimidating. I wouldn't want to fight against him." Sakura teased.

"Hai. His snowball jutsus would be too much for me, yeah." Deidara joked. Sakura laughed, even as she shivered. Deidara then remembered that she'd given her robe to the snowman.

He took his cloak from his shoulders and placed it around her own. Sakura looked up at him in surprise, before smiling in thanks. "Arigato Deidara-san. But you're going to freeze now!"

"Not if we get inside and drink some hot tea, yeah." Deidara laughed.

Sakura nodded, but she didn't begin to walk inside yet. She merely watched the snowman with a small sigh. Deidara turned to look at the snowman as well.

"He'll melt in a few days…when the weather changes, yeah."

"That's art Deidara-san. Its there and then in seconds it's gone, ne?" Sakura teased before skipping up the steps to the house.

Deidara looked at her in wonder, before he quickly caught up with her, grinning. "You're a keeper, Sakura-san. I haven't had this much fun in a long time, yeah."

Sakura sighed and answered truthfully with a small smile. "Neither have I, Deidara-san."

They began walking back inside.

"…Neither have I…"

Deidara took one last look at Sakura, as she gazed at the snowman from where they stood. Her eyes were alight with excitement and joy, the green sparkling against the pink of her hair. The snow caught in it, and it was tangled and wild looking from the gusts of cold wind. Her cheeks were red from the chill, and she looked altogether happy.

But, Deidara knew that it wouldn't last. When they went inside she would comb her hair, and the rosy red of her cheeks would leave when the cold left her. Her eyes would dim and her brilliant smile would fade when she entered the place she was being kept prisoner.

And that was what made her beautiful. Since beauty was instantaneous, bursting into life in the most unexpected places and times.

And she wasn't perfect, which was what made her even more beautiful. Yet, she was as close as humanly possible, the semblance of perfection. And that was what made her art.

Deidara smiled to himself as they headed inside.

He had just proven his theory against Sasori's.

* * *

"You said…" The group was sitting back down in the hotel. "That Hinata was his WHAT!?!?!" Naruto growled at Ino, eyes narrowing.

Hinata blushed, "Ne, Naruto-kun. W-we just did it t-to get information. It's a-alright."

Naruto turned to look t her, realizing that it was his old Hinata again. Still stuttering…and still as shy as ever. It heartened him, and cheered his spirits as he realized that Hinata had only been pretending. Still…she was a good actress!

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Good job girls. That was very quick thinking…however…"

"If one of them tips off the Akatsuki, we're dead." Shikamaru put it plainly.

"Yeah, but we just have to get there before someone tips them off." Kiba grinned. "We can go rescue Sakura-san right now!"

"Iie." Shikamaru shook his head. "We have to go meet with the sand ANBU that the Kazekage sent. Then we'll have enough power to infiltrate the Akatsuki base."

"…hai…" Kiba sighed, frowning. Akamaru whined.

"Why CAN'T we go now?" Naruto asked, eyes confused. "I mean, we have to catch them by surprise."

"I doubt anyone here is going to go out of his way to warn the Akatsuki." Ino observed. "That gives us a few days at least."

"Besides, we still have to regroup with Gai-sensei and the others." Hinata whispered. "And then the sand ANBU…"

"Hinata-chan is right." Kakashi nodded. "We'll have to think this over first. We need to think everything through before making a move. Like chess, ne Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Hai…just like chess."

* * *

Sasuke looked up when he saw Shikamaru and the others land on the ground in front of him. Tenten, Shino, and Lee all started when they appeared, while Gai merely grinned and waved in greeting.

Naruto grinned at Sasuke, "Sasuke-teme! We know where Sakura-chan is!"

"Nani?" Sasuke and the others all turned to them expectantly.

"Not the exact location," Snapped Ino as she gave Naruto a reproving glance. "But we know the main area."

"I guess it was worth it after all!" Tenten laughed as she huddled in her blanket. "We've been freezing our butts off out here."

"When are we leaving?"

Everyone turned to Sasuke.

Kakashi finally answered, "We have to meet with the sand ANBU tomorrow morning, and then decide our plan of attack from there."

"Hn."

"So, I guess we should all bunk down for the night, ne? We'll be heading off to find Sakura-chan in the morning!" Lee whooped. The others sighed patiently. Sometimes he was just like Naruto.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, noticing that the others were quietly getting in their blankets and bunking down. Kakashi and Shikamaru were going to be keeping watch.

Naruto slowly made his way to where his friend sat. He did nothing to acknowledge Naruto's presence. That hurt Naruto more than anything. He wondered if he was still Sasuke's best friend. If so, why was he acting like this? It was just like when Naruto had promised to bring Sasuke back to Sakura. She'd though it was impossible, but it wasn't. _I kept my promise, Sakura-chan…I'm going to make another one now. I promise I'll bring you back to Sasuke._

"Sasuke-teme?"

"Hn."

Naruto sighed. "Sasuke…do you remember when we were genin?"

Sasuke did not answer, merely shifted in his blanket.

Naruto looked up at the sky, the stars shining brightly in the wintry sky, accentuated by the falling snow. "You, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, 'n me…we were great, weren't we? What a team, ne?"

Sasuke seemed to still as he listened.

"Sakura was the smart one, you could do more jutsus than both of us…and of course I was the leader." Naruto grinned, hoping to goad Sasuke into a fight. Instead, Sasuke continued to listen from his spot on the ground.

Naruto continued, knowing that he had to keep himself talking as well. "We were the best team of all the genin…team seven…" He mused to himself. "And then after the Chûnin exams…we were the best Chûnin as well, ne?"

Still no answer.

It didn't really bother Naruto. He was used to this silence. "…Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Why did you go with Orochimaru?"

There was a long moment of silence, and Naruto thought he had silenced Sasuke for good.

…

…

…

"To become strong enough to kill Itachi."

…

…

…

Naruto didn't answer back. He remembered Sakura coming to him after Sasuke had left, sobbing. Her eyes had been…dead. As if she didn't have anything left to live for. Sasuke had left her for revenge. Naruto suddenly realized that it wasn't that surprising.

He had once tried to kill Naruto, just to gain the Mangekou so he could become strong enough to kill Itachi. Naruto realized that Itachi's death was more important to Sasuke than anything else in the world.

Including Sakura.

The night air seemed even colder as Naruto's eyes widened. What if…what if Sasuke wasn't doing this to get back Sakura? What if it was all just to kill Itachi? But surely…

_"Ne, Sasuke…what happened to you?" Naruto whispered hoarsely as he looked down at his friend, battered and beaten. Sasuke was lying in his bed, but he barely seemed to notice them. The room was little more than a prison cell. _

"_Naruto…Orochimaru will notice us soon. I can't defeat him in this state." Jiraiya said softly. "We have to get Sasuke out of here now."_

_Naruto looked down at Sasuke, seeing that he was aware of them. His voice went cold as his eyes became serious._

"_I won't take him unless he wants to come."_

_Jiraiya looked at his pupil, seeing the determined look on his face. It was still strange, seeing Naruto so serious. It was strange seeing him act like a real shinobi. They had just infiltrated the Sound base, as quietly as possible. They had yet to meet up with any of the more important Sound-nin, which was a relief._

_Sasuke watched them both, his eyes blank. He seemed so distant and changed…like a zombie. Naruto remembered the look…the same look in Sakura's eyes when she had awoken and realized Sasuke had left her for revenge._

…

"_Where is Sakura?"_

_Naruto looked up, surprised. "She's not here. She's in Konoha."_

_Sasuke closed his eyes with a small sigh of irritation. "Dobe. I'm tired."_

_Naruto frowned, "Sasuke-teme, I'm serious."_

"_I know."_

_Sasuke sighed as he looked up at Naruto, seeing his friends gaze. "I want to go home."_

_Naruto stared at him for what seemed like forever, before nodding slowly, his eyes still confused. After all, Sasuke had gone of his own free will to become Orochimaru's apprentice. Why was he coming back now?_

"_Why?"_

_Naruto and Jiraiya both waited for his answer, though Jiraiya was looking around anxiously, as if he could sense someone coming. He placed a kunai into his hand. "We have to go Naruto."_

"_Not yet." Naruto snapped. "Why, Sasuke? Why do you want to come back now, after all this time?"_

"_Naruto, Kabuto and Orochimaru are coming!"_

_Naruto merely stared at Sasuke. "Why?"_

…

…

…

"…_I can't stop thinking of her…" _

Naruto blinked, realizing he had let himself drift into a memory. Sasuke was speaking.

"He hasn't killed Sakura, Naruto, he told me as much, if that's what you're worried about."

"Nani?" Naruto looked up, wondering if maybe Sasuke had read his mind, knowing the one thing that had been bothering him from the beginning, nagging in the back of his mind. "What else did he tell you, Sasuke-teme? Come on, tell me!"

Sasuke sat up when he heard the desperation in Naruto's voice. He turned to look at him, not wanting him to see that he was having a hard time finding the right words. Whether Naruto knew it or not, he was still Sasuke's best friend, and the only person that Sasuke knew had accepted him after he had returned from Orochimaru's.

"Itachi raped Sakura, Naruto."

* * *

Sakura snuggled down in Itachi's bed, reveling in the fact that Itachi wouldn't be back until the morning. That meant she could sleep in the bed in peace. Still, something nagged at the back of her mind.

Why had Itachi only raped her once? They'd slept in the same room for a long time. But he hadn't raped her since the first time. Almost as if…as if he felt guilty.

_Che. You're trying to read him like you do other people, Sakura-chan,_ her ANBU voice reprimanded. _Itachi is different. You cannot base his emotions, thoughts, or actions off of other people. He's…_

"…one of a kind." Sakura couldn't help but say it in awe. He really was an enigma. Like the puzzle box her mother had given to her when she was younger. She'd spent months trying to figure it out, but the more she messed with it, the more complex it became.

Sakura pulled the covers up to her nose, breathing in the last remnants of his scent. It reminded her of Sasuke's, which only made the tears well up in her eyes and her chest begin to hurt.

_But he's still alive, Sakura! He's still out there somewhere…he's safe from Itachi. That's all that matters. _Sakura looked back at her own thoughts with a laugh. _Since when did I appoint myself Sasuke-kun's protector?_

Sakura looked back out at the star from where she lay on the bed. She had turned it so she could look outside at the snowman she and Deidara had made. She'd also left the window open, but the cold didn't bother her. After all, she was warm beneath the blanket, wrapped in Deidara's cloak. The kimono he had given her was neatly folded on the chair, and her yukata and pants had been washed. That meant in the morning she would be wearing the clothes Itachi had given her.

Sakura closed her eyes with a small smile, trying to capture the last glimpse of the snowman before her sight dimmed and sleep took her. When she did, she realized that the only thing he needed were Sharingan eyes, and then he would look just like Itachi.

**(AN: Lots of revelations from Sasuke. We're getting a better view of what he went through with Orochimaru, which I think will help everyone understand the decisions all of the characters will make now and later on. Who else is on pins and needles just waiting to find out what Tomokazu has to do with everything? I can't wait! Soon…hehehehe…) **


	6. Chapter 5: Secrets of the Snow Ninja

**Chapter 5**

**Secrets of the Snow Ninja**

Temari of the Sand crossed her legs with a sigh and a frown. She was sitting on a small rock in the middle of a large clearing that had been designated as the meeting spot for the two ANBU teams.

She had been surprised at the news of Sakura's capture. She had met her during the Chûnin exams, and many times afterwards. She was nice. And she had helped Gaara claim his title of Kazekage, and Temari would be forever grateful for that. After all…if Gaara hadn't gotten it, everyone said the odds were it would have fallen to her.

Temari didn't believe she could ever be the leader of an entire Village.

"Temari-dono, someone's coming." One of the masked ANBU reported as he appeared next to her. Temari nodded, not liking the 'dono' that was put after her name. So she was Gaara's second in command, what did that have to do with it? She hated titles. She'd hated her title as the daughter of the Kazekage in the first place, and she hated her title as the new Kazekage's second in command.

Temari continued to sit as calmly as possible as the Konoha ANBU entered the clearing. She recognized Shikamaru from a mile away. His eagle faced ANBU mask didn't hide his spiky brown hair. Also, nothing could extinguish the air of boredom from around him.

"Temari-dono." He nodded at her.

Temari raised an eyebrow, "Shikamaru-baka." A few of the leaf ANBU snickered.

"It's good to see you again Temari-dono," Kakashi greeted her. "How are the Kazekage and the Sand Village?"

"Fine, thank you for asking." Temari smiled, though it immediately turned into a serious frown. "Now, what is all this about Sakura-chan being kidnapped? Why would the Akatsuki want her?"

"Because of her healing abilities, or so we believe." Shikamaru answered.

"Ah," Temari nodded. "I've been told Itachi's eyes are failing him."

"Hai." Shikamaru answered, and then stepped forward. "Temari-dono, would you have a private word with Neji-san, Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, and I?"

"Of course." Temari answered, though her brows knitted in confusion. This wasn't exactly the long awaited meeting she had been hoping for. Of course, she hadn't expected any time alone with Shikamaru anyway.

They went into another small clearing, away from the others who had begun setting up a small fire for warmth.

"What's all this about, Shikamaru-_kun_?" Temari asked when they were out of hearing range.

Shikamaru sighed. "Tsunade-dono sent me word from Konoha. She seems to believe that perhaps the Akatsuki are using Sakura as bait to get the Kyuubi from Naruto."

Temari nodded solemnly. "That's what Gaara-kun was thinking. After all…the same thing happened to him."

Shikamaru nodded, not being able to help the small smile. After all, Temari was probably the only person on the planet that could call the Kazekage _kun_. "But Tsunade-dono knew that Naruto wouldn't have stayed behind. He would have only gotten himself into even more trouble by trying to go after the Akatsuki alone."

"And why on earth is that Uchiha here?" Temari raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowed. After all, she knew all about his betrayal of the Leaf Village. She'd spoken with Sakura a few times about it, and was surprised that Sakura had actually opened up to her a little. She supposed it was because she knew that Temari spent her entire life keeping secrets, and would never tell hers.

Or perhaps it was because both of them had been the only girls on their team that had been ignored completely…and pushed away by the one person they had cared for. Whether it was brotherly love, like with Gaara, or romantic love as with Sasuke, they'd had a certain bond.

"He'll just go for Itachi."

"We know." Kakashi sighed. "But Tsunade-dono also knew that HE would try and come after Itachi the moment he found out who had captured Sakura-san. She just saved us some trouble."

"My, my, Kakashi-sensei. You couldn't even handle your own students?" Temari tried a small grin, but it failed as she sighed. "I suppose Tsunade-dono did the right thing."

Up to this point, both Gai and Neji had remained silent. Gai because he had nothing more to add, Neji because he didn't feel like talking at all.

"We believe we know where one of the Akatsuki hideouts is situated. If we can find it and infiltrate it, we might find Sakura-san." Shikamaru began.

Temari shook her head. "She might not even be at that one. She could be at one of the other _hundreds_ of Akatsuki hideouts."

Shikamaru nodded, "But there would definitely be some kind of information there, if not an Akatsuki. Between all of us, I believe we can capture at least one and extract information from him."

Temari gazed at him doubtfully, knowing he was trying to be hopeful. The truth was, they both knew that the chances Sakura was there were slim to none. He was just trying to be cheerful and optimistic for the others on his team.

"Sakura-chan could be dead."

Neji looked up sharply at Temari's remark. "She's not."

"He could have used her to heal his eyes and then killed her. I'm just trying to give you the facts so you won't go running in there thinking you can play the knight in shining armor, Hyuga." Temari snapped back.

Shikamaru lifted his hands. "Maa maa, calm down Temari-dono. The truth is…Neji-san, Sasuke, and Hinata-san found out that Itachi has not killed Sakura-san."

"Really?" Temari perked up, "That's wonderful! But…" She noticed their dark gazes. "It's not that wonderful…is it?"

"He's taken…a liking to her." Shikamaru tried to broach the subject as delicately as possible. "He's already raped her once to our knowledge."

Temari nodded, face scrunched up as she tried not to show how this affected her. _Poor Sakura-chan…_If he had raped her once, then the chances were he'd rape her again. If he had decided she was worth his attention…well, no one denied Itachi Uchiha anything.

Temari decided to change the subject. "What happens if Sasuke defies orders to attack Itachi? He'll go straight for him, whether or not we've rescued Sakura-chan. He's a danger to this mission and a danger to her."

Gai spoke, "We've been told by Tsunade-dono…that we can incapacitate him if the need comes for it, or if he does anything to endanger the mission."

Temari had known this would be the case. The next question she had, however, was one she didn't want to ask. "What happens if Sakura-chan is being used as bait for the Kyuubi?"

Shikamaru looked down with a sigh.

"If we are to learn that Sakura-san is being used as bait…then we are to abandon the mission and get Naruto safely back to Konoha."

* * *

Temari and Shikamaru whipped through the trees, the cold air stinging their cheeks. They were at the head of the group, scouting the area before the others. They were going by the directions given to Hinata and Ino from several different sources about the Akatsuki hideout.

They were a good ten minutes ahead of the others, and they found the solitude wonderful. They hadn't had time to speak to one another in a long time, since both had been busy with missions.

The group had decided on a stealth attack at night. They would all mask their chakra and move in small groups towards the hideout once they found it, in order to remain inconspicuous.

Still, both Temari and Shikamaru had a feeling that their heightened stealth would not hide them enough from the acute Akatsuki senses. They just had to hope they could strike fast enough to catch them by surprise.

"Do you think Sakura-chan is doing alright?" Temari asked Shikamaru as they continued jumping on tree limbs.

Shikamaru spared her a glance. "I don't know, Temari. I think she can hold out on her own but…"

"But you're afraid Itachi is stronger than she is."

"I _know_ he is." Shikamaru murmured. "And that's what's scary. I don't know anyone who is stronger than him and it worries me. How can any of us hope to fight him off? Even you know when you've been defeated. Don't you just think…sometimes…that this mission is hopeless?"

"No." Temari shook her head. "I don't, and you shouldn't either, Shikamaru no baka. Besides, you don't know that none of us are stronger than Itachi. Anyway, that's beside the point. We're not fighting him one on one. Otherwise…you'd have to leave it to me." Temari laughed as Shikamaru gave a groan of annoyance.

"Anyway…Sakura-chan is smart. She knows when to fight and when to sit back and observe. I have no doubt that's what she's doing."

"If she had her chakra she'd be able to fight back. But we both know Kisame has probably drained her of it all. She couldn't hold off a _Genin_ at the moment."

"You don't give her enough credit." Temari snapped. "She's been training with that Rock Lee, hasn't she? He's probably been teaching her how to build up her strength without chakra. And that Hyuga has probably taught her some useful pressure points."

"Hai."

"And _I_ taught her a few wind jutsus." Temari laughed at Shikamaru's surprised look. "If she had a fan, maybe she'd be able to manipulate the wind."

"Che. Women." Shikamaru shook his head. "If I had known you were all so troublesome, I never would have proposed."

Temari grinned at him, showing off her teeth. "Women make life interesting, Shikamaru-kun."

* * *

Tomokazu headed silently down the hallway, his stride confident and amused as he headed to the one room he hadn't gone inside of. He could tell by the slowed heart rate and shallow breathing that the occupant in the room was sleeping.

Tomokazu placed his hand upon the door, ready to slide it open. Wouldn't Itachi be surprised…?

"Ne, Tomokazu-san, I do believe your room is down three doors." Sasori answered calmly from where he leaned in his doorway. He watched Tomokazu turn to look at him with a glare. His silver eyes glittered in the darkness.

"Good evening Sasori. Shouldn't you be playing with your dolls, instead of delving into affairs that are none of your business?"

Sasori ignored the fact that Tomokazu had insulted him by not saying 'san' as well as insinuating that Sasori's puppets were mere dolls. He continued to watch Tomokazu, his own dark eyes calm and unreadable. "It's against the rules to enter another Akatsuki's room without permission."

"My, my, are you Leader's little rule book now?" Tomokazu raised one perfect brow. "I didn't know you cared so much for regulations."

"Why were you headed into Itachi-san's room?"

Tomokazu snorted. "I had the…desire to enter."

Sasori's eyes narrowed slightly, though the darkness hid this. Did Tomokazu truly believe he could enter Itachi's room without anyone knowing? True, he and Deidara were the only Akatsuki other than Zetsu who were there with Tomokazu, but surely he hadn't believed he could get away with whatever he was going to do, did he?

"Haruno Sakura is bait for the Kyuubi and not to be disturbed, Tomokazu-san."

"And I suppose that Itachi isn't doing anything to 'disturb' our dear bait?"

Sasori sighed, not liking where this was going. However, he had known from the beginning that Sakura was awake. Unlike Tomokazu, he didn't underestimate the young kunoichi. She had apparently learned how to fake her own pulse rate and breathing, as well as her chakra to make a semblance of sleep. Tomokazu had always underestimated everyone besides himself—and Itachi.

"He is the one who captured her."

Tomokazu gave a feral grin. "Maybe I'll just _capture_ her for myself, if that is the case."

"You would be breaking Akatsuki code."

Tomokazu shrugged. "What are you going to do about it, Sasori? Tattle to Leader?"

Sasori's eyes narrowed even more as he lifted a hand, motioning to the door that was Tomokazu's. "I suggest you sleep. I have a feeling you will be leaving early in the morning, ne?"

Tomokazu sneered, "Good night Sasori." He then flicked his own fingers in dismissal before heading to his room.

Sasori watched him go, as his door clicked shut. Sasori gave a small sigh, before turning to enter his own room. That's when it hit him. His heart throbbed in pain and he let out a small gasp as blood trickled out his mouth. He hurriedly wiped it away as the pain ceased. He rubbed his chest, which was still sore.

"Sasori-san? Are you alright?" Sakura whispered as she slid open the door.

Sasori nodded mutely. "Hai, Haruno-san."

"Sasori-san?"

"Hai?"

"Arigato." Then Sakura closed the door softly before padding back to the bed.

Sasori couldn't help but give a small smile before heading into his own room. If Itachi hadn't asked anything, he probably wouldn't have interfered at all. He then realized, that he probably would have either way. Sakura was too interesting to have around. Sasori's thoughts instantly turned back to Tomokazu and the throbbing in his chest.

_What did that damn Tomokazu do? He didn't even touch me…_

Suddenly the door to the house opened and Itachi and Kisame walked inside. Sasori, who hadn't closed the door to his own room, merely looked out at them, wondering. Kisame looked furious yet excited at the same time, blood lust literally rolling off of him in waves.

Itachi headed straight towards Sasori. "Wake Deidara-san. We've been spotted. We're leaving."

Deidara leaned out his own door, "Where are we going, yeah? What happened?"

"Those Leaf ANBU are heading this way. They seem to have found out the coordinates of this home." Kisame grunted, before grinning, "Apparently your Mistress has been inquiring about you."

"Nani?" Deidara choked out. "Mistress, yeah?"

"One of the ANBU." Itachi supplied. "She pretended to be your mistress to get information out of the villagers."

"Damn." Deidara nodded. "I'll wake Zetsu-san, yeah."

Tomokazu opened his own door, heading into the hallway. He merely smiled politely at Itachi. "Good to see you back, Itachi-_san_."

Itachi regarded him coolly, as one might inspect a piece of dust on their sleeve. "Hn."

"Where are we headed?"

"Zetsu-san and Tomokazu-san have a mission to go on." Kisame answered as he handed Tomokazu a scroll. "The rest of us are heading to Deidara's house in Stone."

"Glad that someone told me of this, yeah." Deidara grinned as he came back from Zetsu's room. "By the way, would you all like to come to my home, yeah?"

"How long until the ANBU get here?" Sasori asked.

"Thirty minutes to an hour." Itachi answered.

"Well, we'd better get going, yeah." Deidara smiled as he headed into his room to pack.

Kisame did the same, heading into his room with a nod.

Sasori turned to Itachi, "He tried."

"I know." Itachi answered coldly. Sasori then realized that Itachi and Kisame must have been outside the home the entire time. If Tomokazu had tried anything…he would have been dead quicker than it took him to sneer.

Sasori nodded at Itachi before heading into his own room as well. Itachi then opened his own door.

* * *

Sakura looked up as Itachi entered. He picked up a traveling pack, putting his scrolls inside from the shelves.

"We're leaving."

"I heard." Sakura whispered as she slipped off the bed in Deidara's Akatsuki robe. Itachi immediately realized it was not his own, but he said nothing as he handed her a pack.

Sakura wordlessly began putting more of his scrolls inside of it. When Itachi seemed satisfied with the fact that they had packed all of his documents, he gave her a pack for her clothing. She had already put on the yukata and pants, and was putting her kimono in her clothing pack when Itachi picked it up to look at it.

"Where did you get this?" His voice was slightly amused, yet it had an angered warning tone as well.

Sakura merely took it from him and placed it back in her pack. Itachi watched her curiously before packing his own clothes. He handed one of the scroll packs to Sakura. "You'll carry this."

Sakura nodded mutely as she shouldered both packs. She began calculating a plan. Perhaps she could escape…no, that's just what they'd be thinking. They'd know that she would see this as a perfect opportunity for escape.

They entered the hallway where Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame awaited. All were laden with packs.

"We're going to my house, yeah." Deidara smiled at Sakura. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Sakura nodded slowly. All of them put on their hats, and Itachi handed one to Sakura. She stared at it, before taking it in her hands slowly.

As their fingers touched, Itachi noticed that her hand was freezing. If she had been asleep the entire time, why was she so cold?

Sakura awkwardly placed the Akatsuki hat on, not liking the feel of it on her. It reminded her more and more of her place here, merely an instrument that could be played and manipulated at any time.

"Let's go." Deidara and Sasori headed off first, then Kisame, Itachi, and Sakura followed.

Sakura easily kept up with their swift pace, though she didn't know how long she would be able to do so without chakra. As they continued their trek through the snowy forest, Sakura could only hope and pray that Naruto and the others could find her…and that they knew how to think fast.

* * *

The moment they came upon the house, Neji realized something was wrong. He, Shikamaru, and Temari were on the first strike team. The others landed on the snow beside him as Neji scanned the house with his Byakugan, seeing that is was abandoned. He and Shikamaru shared a glance. That was when the other few groups of ANBU came up to them at Temari's signal. The others turned to Shikamaru expectantly.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"DAMN!" Naruto cursed as he kicked up a large amount of snow, his face dark with anger and helplessness. He hurriedly walked to the back of the house, his excuse being to go search it.

Neji almost closed his eyes as he let out a small sigh. _Too late_…once again he was too late to protect her. Still, his mission wasn't over. He'd comb the entire forest over and over again to find Sakura…and he would succeed.

Ino turned to Shikamaru. "She isn't here, is she?"

"They must have realized we were coming." Kiba grumbled. "Dammit."

"D-do you think they had S-Sakura-chan?" Hinata whispered.

"Akamaru smells her scent, as well as Akatsuki. They haven't been gone long." Kiba whispered.

"NANI!?!?!?!"

All of them turned to where Naruto had yelled. They all rushed over to where he was and stopped in their tracks. Standing before them was a snowman dressed in and Akatsuki robe…wearing a leaf headband.

"What the hell?" Tenten murmured, "Is that a _snowman_?"

"No." Kakashi answered offhandedly. "I think it's a snow ninja."

"Hey—that's Sakura-chan's headband!" Ino gasped out as she noticed the band on his forehead.

Gai, Lee, Choji, and Shino came out of the house, shaking their heads. They hadn't found anything worth noting.

"H-hold on." Hinata whispered in awe. "Th-there's something in the s-snowman!"

"What?" Naruto stared at Hinata in confusion. "There's something inside?"

Hinata nodded, "In the head."

Sasuke immediately walked over to the snowman, taking off the head and filing through the snow, finding a small clear tube with a piece of paper inside. He opened it and scanned the lines of the paper.

"Sakura-chan says they're heading to Deidara's home in Stone."

"What? Sakura-chan left us a note?" Naruto grinned, "I _knew_ she'd find some way to contact us! Way to go Sakura-chan!"

Shikamaru shook his head. _Yeah…way to go Sakura-san…_

Temari laughed, "Trust Sakura-chan to hide a note in a snowman."

"Well, who would look there?" Tenten shrugged with a smile. "It's the perfect place in all this snow."

"Your students are a wonder, Kakashi." Gai shook his head.

Neji stopped their revelry as he spoke.

"Let's get moving. We have to get to Stone as soon as possible."

* * *

Itachi noticed Sakura's waning strength after two hours of their flight. She didn't let it show, but each time her feet landed on a tree branch, it landed a bit harder and for a second longer than the time before. She continually shifted the packs on her back as she went, as if trying to find a way to make them lighter. The large Akatsuki robe, which Itachi had immediately recognized as Deidara's, was hindering her movements as well.

Itachi supposed he couldn't blame Sasori for letting Deidara near her. After all, he had told Sasori to only watch for Tomokazu…and he was glad he had done so.

Still, Itachi knew that the emerald kimono had also been a present from the young missing-nin of stone. His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued on ahead, Sakura a few steps behind him.

He definitely did not like Deidara thinking he could just waltz into his room and begin giving Sakura things. She was his…and whatever was given to her would be from him and him only. However, a small part of his mind grinned, knowing that he really must have chosen a good woman for the others to be so infatuated with her.

Damn male hormones.

Sakura gritted her teeth as she continued following Itachi. The idea of heading the other direction had come to mind more than once, but had been pushed aside with the knowledge that Itachi would know the moment she decided to do so, and she didn't want to anger him at the moment.

She had seen his eyes the moment he had entered the room, the blood red Sharingan even more menacing than usual. And then he'd seen the robe and the kimono Deidara had given her… Sakura had never seen him show so much emotion before. He was literally boiling underneath his skin. Of course, not many people would notice it, but Sakura had learned how to read at least that much of the Uchiha's body language.

It mirrored Sasuke's attitude exactly.

Sakura could already feel her strength leaving her. Her limbs felt numb, and her body seemed as heavy as lead. Each time she landed on a branch she found it hard to jump to the next. Also, she hadn't gotten that much sleep at all. She had been awake most of the night thinking…and then Tomokazu had tried to get inside the door before Itachi had returned.

Suddenly her foot slipped and she let out a small yell as she began falling to the ground. She managed to land on her feet, but as she did so, her ankle snapped sideways. She let out a gasp of pain as the bone split and she fell back.

Itachi and Kisame landed on the ground in front of her.

Sakura didn't pay them any attention as she rubbed her ankle, biting her lip to keep from crying out. It _hurt_. But she wasn't going to let them think she was weak. However, she didn't have enough chakra to mold the bone back together, since she had used most of it to just keep herself upright while they traveled.

Itachi bent down on the ground next to her, his robe billowing out around him.

"Let me see."

Sakura looked up at him, unsure what he meant. She gingerly flipped open her cloak so he could get a good look at her ankle. It struck her then that she was completely and hopelessly at Itachi's mercy. She had no strength left, nothing. Before, she had at least had a little chakra, but now…she felt hopeless and weak like when she had been a genin. She had never wanted to feel that way again. It scared her.

Itachi didn't touch her ankle, as he looked it over. He should have realized he couldn't push the kunoichi this far. She had become complacent and inattentive with fatigue. She stiffened as his fingers grazed the skin just above the ankle. He could already see it begin to swell.

He looked down into her eyes and almost froze. They glistened with unshed tears, but more so than that…they shone with fear. It had been the first time he had ever seen her afraid of him. Before, she had hid it well, but now she was practically cowering beneath him. Was she afraid he would hurt her for getting herself injured? If it had been anyone else, yes…but for some odd reason he merely gripped her ankle as she let out a small gasp of pain as he jostled it.

"I need to reset it."

Sakura closed her eyes, willing the tears away as she nodded slightly. She had known all along what had to be done. That was one of the drawbacks of being a medic. She saw Itachi pull out a small brace from his medical pack, as well as some bandages to wrap it in.

She began calming herself mentally; going over the process in her mind and reminding herself that this had to be done. Of course, the fact that it was Itachi who was going to do it didn't help. However, she decided he was a better candidate to do this than Kisame.

She only wished Deidara was there.

Itachi turned back to look at Sakura uncertainly, waiting to see if she was going to try and stop him. Instead, she clenched her teeth as her eyes hardened and she let out a breath.

Itachi picked up her ankle in his hands, wondering how well she was going to do without any painkiller. When Sakura had reset his arm, she had numbed it considerably, but not all the way of course. Still, she wasn't going to have _any_ anesthesia.

Sakura took a handful of Itachi's cloak in her hand and Itachi stiffened, but did nothing more as he realized her need to hold onto something.

"I'm ready." Sakura whispered before taking a deep breath.

Itachi almost faltered as he gripped her ankle tightly and quickly snapped it back into place.

Sakura let out a small cry, biting her lip until she felt blood pool in her mouth. She pressed her face into Itachi's cloak, near his chest as she gripped the cloth tightly in her hand. The sharp pain began to ebb, but the throbbing continued.

Sakura took a few shaky breaths. "…I'm fine now…"

Itachi made to step backwards, but Sakura continued to hold onto his cloak, as well as bury her face in his shirt. He could feel the tears soaking the mesh top, but he merely stayed there, letting her recover. He looked over her head at Kisame, who was watching curiously.

He nodded, and Kisame disappeared, going ahead of them.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura whispered as she pulled back, as Itachi wrapped and braced her ankle. She barely winced as he did so, though her hand clenched involuntarily. Sakura expected him to nod and then tell her to stand, which would have been the typical thing for him to do.

Instead, she found herself enveloped in warm arms as Itachi picked her up, as well as her packs and his. Sakura didn't know what to do as Itachi suddenly burst into motion. She let out a small yelp of fright as she threw her arms around his neck, holding tight.

Itachi smirked to himself as she pressed close to him so she wouldn't fall. He could feel her hot breath on his neck as she calmed herself, stilling so that Itachi wouldn't drop her accidentally.

Sakura closed her eyes as despair washed over her. She opened them to watch the forest behind them, taking in a few shaky breaths. Her chances of escape were slowly disappearing.

How could she run when she could barely even stand?

* * *

Shikamaru shook his head in annoyance as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He landed in the small clearing, motioning for the others to stop.

"What are we doing, Shikamaru-teme? We _have_ to be close to Sakura-chan!" Naruto growled, landing beside him.

"We have to stop, dobe." Temari snapped, not liking the fact that her fatigue was making her irritable. She didn't like the fact that they were stopping either, but she knew they had to. All of them were asleep on their feet.

"Ne, Naruto-k-kun. Shikamaru-san and T-Temari-san are r-right. We have to s-stop." Hinata whispered, almost afraid that he would lash at her.

Naruto turned to her with a sigh, nodding slowly. "…Hai."

Neji stepped forward, eyes hard. "Shikamaru, I'll go on ahead to Stone."

"Nani?" Shikamaru looked at him incredulously. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"I can travel faster without having to wait on the rest of you." Neji argued.

"No." Shikamaru answered.

"This isn't just your mission, Shikamaru. We have to decide what is best for Haruno-san."

"No, Neji." Shikamaru crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "We have to decide what is best for the team."

"This mission is about Haruno-san."

"And if we all die no one can complete the mission. Tsunade-dono made it clear, Neji. We cannot run a fool's errand." Shikamaru didn't like arguing, especially with his nerves on edge. He was physically and mentally drained, and having a power struggle with Neji was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. He was just happy the others weren't trying to interfere. They merely watched.

"I can handle myself, Shikamaru." Neji answered back calmly, eyes narrowing. "Let me go ahead to Stone and see if I can find any information on Deidara's home."

Shikamaru let out a small chuckle. "And you think that I don't know the moment you pick up Sakura-san's trail you won't go straight for her and the Akatsuki?"

Temari stepped forward, "Alright, both of you, stop it." She stood in between them, eyes hard as she placed a hand on each of their chests, pushing back to show them that she wasn't going to have it anymore.

"Don't interfere, Temari-dono. This is between Neji-san and I." Shikamaru answered smoothly, a bit of warning in his tone.

Temari glared. "Iie, Shikamaru-san. This is as much my mission as it is yours. You're forgetting the reason we're here. We have to save Sakura-san and quickly. I've gotten news that Orochimaru might be gaining back power. If he tries to attack either the Sand Village or the Leaf Village, than they will be hard put to defend themselves. After all…their best shinobi are here."

Kakashi sighed, "Temari-dono is right."

Gai grinned, giving them a thumbs up. "Come on you two! We can work together. Team work, yeah!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're still not going to Stone, Neji."

"I actually think he should." Temari said coolly.

"Nani?" Everyone turned to her in surprise.

"Not alone, however." Temari sighed. "I'll go with him."

* * *

Neji ran through the trees, his gaze determined. Beside him ran Temari, her pace undaunted. They'd been traveling for an hour or so since the confrontation with the others. Neji didn't believe he needed help, but he supposed that a smaller group was better than the large one he had been traveling in.

"If you drop dead, Neji-san, I won't pick you up." Temari answered stoically as she turned to look at him.

"I don't plan on doing so, Temari-dono." Was Neji's only answer.

"Gaara-kun knew we'd end up splitting. I don't like traveling with large groups. The Sand ANBU he assigned me were told that if I left them, they were to obey the leading Leaf ANBU captain."

"I'm glad you thought ahead, Temari-dono."

Temari rolled her eyes. "However, we are going to stop to sleep tonight."

"We can't do that." Neji answered tersely as he sped up his pace.

Temari sighed deeply, "And why not?" She matched speed with him as they flew even faster through the trees.

"We're catching up." Shino answered softly in his slightly disconcerting voice as he landed beside them on the branch as they began speeding off again. "My bugs sense their chakra."

Kiba and Akamaru jumped from tree to tree, Kiba grinning and Akamaru yipping in excitement.

Temari exchanged an exasperated glance with their last member of their small group, Tenten. She merely shrugged, shaking her head with a wry smile.

Temari just hoped she'd made the right choice of her small group. Already she was having doubts. Neji was being an ass, naturally, as much as she had expected. Shino, Tenten, and Kiba, however, would probably be of assistance.

_"You can't be serious, Temari-chan." Shikamaru shook his head as he pulled her aside for a talk out of hearing of the others. "I'm not leaving you with Neji alone. He may be my ANBU captain equal, but I do not think of him as a friend, not when he's like this. Neji will do anything to get Sakura-san back."_

"_Shikamaru-kun." Temari ruffled his hair with one hand as she smiled ruefully. "I'm flattered you're worried for me, but I'm a big girl. I tie my own sandals and everything."_

_Shikamaru sighed. "You're so troublesome…"_

_Temari laughed. "If Neji and I can reach Stone quickly we can begin searching for Sakura-chan. Stone is a large country, we'll have plenty of ground to cover. That gives you time to head to Sand to report. Gaara-kun is waiting for information. Besides, my ANBU may be Sand, but they're still not completely sure where their loyalties lie. The sooner you get them to Sand and Gaara can give you more loyal shinobi the better."_

"_I know but—"_

_Temari put a finger to his lips, silencing him. She shook her head. "I'll be sure to be careful."_

"_I don't want you going alone with him."_

"_Very well. Send Rock Lee and Gai-sensei with me."_

"_Nani!?!?"_

_Temari sighed, giving into the urge to brush the hair out of his eyes. "Oi, Shikamaru-baka. Don't be difficult. I was only kidding. I want Kiba and Shino."_

_Shikamaru frowned. "I'm not leaving you alone with them, Neji's an ass, Kiba can be one sometimes too, and Shino is too quiet." Both of them knew that Temari had picked a wonderful team, and Shikamaru was just trying to dissuade her from this mission._

"_Fine, I'll take Tenten, but no more than that. We need to travel light."_

_Shikamaru faltered for a second, before nodding slowly. "Alright…that seems like a well-balanced group." Of course it was, that was why Temari had chosen it. It had the perfect balance of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and Taijutsu._

_Temari pulled him in for a hug, before giving him a long kiss. When she pulled away, Shikamaru blushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. _

"_I'll be fine, baka. Don't worry about me. I can protect myself."_

_Shikamaru merely sighed again as Temari silenced him with another kiss. When she pulled back this time, her confidence had faded slightly. _

"_I'll miss you. We haven't had time alone for a long time. Gaara's kept me busy."_

_Shikamaru frowned. "He doesn't like me."_

_Temari laughed. "Of course he does. He just doesn't want anyone pulling me away from him now…" Her smile faded and a sad look entered her face. "He's only just realized that I've been there the entire time, and he wants to take full advantage of it. I don't want him to be like he was when he was a child, just because he's now Kazekage and I'm getting married."_

"_Hai." Shikamaru rolled his eyes._

"_You're jealous of my brother, aren't you?" Temari laughed. _

"_What are you talking about?" Shikamaru blushed slightly. _

_Temari shook her head in wonder. "Oi, Shika-kun…" She purred as she caressed his chest through his mesh top, giving him a meaningful glance. "I will admit I'll get sick of having to sleep alone after finally having a bedmate since the last time I was in Konoha."_

_Shikamaru couldn't help but give her an arrogant grin, which she knew was coming. She merely pushed him backwards with a dry laugh, before turning to leave and get their group together. Shikamaru grabbed her hand and she turned to look back at him. _

_He wore a worried expression, but he merely smiled as he squeezed her hand before letting go. Temari smiled back before heading back to where the others stood, Shikamaru walking quietly behind her. _

**(AN: Yay, Temari! She's one of my favorite Naruto characters, so I had to add her in. Don't worry, just because there's a new group doesn't mean that I'm going to leave out Shikamaru and the others. We can't forget them! I can't wait to find out what happens between Itachi and Tomokazu, can you? He isn't a very nice guy…)**


	7. Chapter 6: Conflicting Consciences

**Book Two: Stone**

**Chapter 6**

**Conflicting Consciences**

Sasuke bundled in his blanket, eyes narrowed as he tried to contain his anger. Why the hell did Shikamaru keep him from being in the special op ANBU squad with Temari and the others? He would be of much better help in getting back Sakura than Tenten, Shino, or Kiba. Apparently Shikamaru had thought differently.

_"Shikamaru, I want to go with the special op squad." Sasuke tried to sound as polite and agreeable as possible. _

_Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "You're needed here."_

"_No, I'm not." Sasuke answered back readily. "I'll be of better assistance in the special op group."_

"_One doujutsu wielder is enough for that group, Sasuke. We need your Sharingan here." Shikamaru said stoically. The others tried not to listen as they bent to work, beginning the task of setting up camp._

"_But Hinata and Kakashi-sensei are here. Surely two doujutsu users is enough here. Shouldn't we even it out?"_

_Shikamaru frowned. "Sasuke, I am the captain of this mission. With both Neji and Temari in the special op group, it means I have sole authority. You're staying and that's the end of it."_

_Sasuke gritted his teeth as his Sharingan flashed and his hands clenched, as he wished to punch the arrogant smirk off of Shikamaru's face._

_Shikamaru watched him warily. "If you can't handle your temper, Sasuke, then we both know you're not ready for a special op team. This conversation is over." _

Damn Shikamaru. Sasuke glared into the darkness. He knew the reason Shikamaru had kept him behind was because he didn't trust him with his dear _Temari_. That had to be it. Or perhaps he just didn't trust him at all.

"Hey Sasuke-teme!" Naruto greeted him cheerfully as he sat down beside him. "Why do you look so grumpy?" Sasuke just glared at him.

Naruto sighed. "I know, I wanted to go after Sakura-chan too, but we have to listen to the others. We can't just go running off, ne? Besides, they won't engage the Akatsuki until we arrive. If they find out where the base is, they're going to send the coordinates to us and wait for our arrival."

Sasuke didn't answer as he shifted in his blanket.

Naruto shivered. "It's _freezing_."

"Hn."

"…Sasuke…why didn't you tell me before about what Itachi did to Sakura-chan?"

"It wasn't any of your business." Sasuke snapped, regretting it a second later. It was as much Naruto's business as it was his. Sakura was like a sister to Naruto, and he deserved to know. "…sorry."

"It's alright." Naruto whispered wearily. "Don't worry Sasuke. We're going to get her back. After all, we have three ANBU teams looking for her—plus us and Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei! And the Sand ANBU…but we're missing some of them now that they're gone on the special mission…"

Sasuke shook his head with a small sigh.

Naruto grinned, "Oi. Don't you think it was smart of Sakura-chan to leave us that note in the snow?"

"Hn."

"I wouldn't have thought of it."

"Of course you wouldn't have, dobe." Sasuke snapped unconsciously, reverting back to his old self from the genin days, an arrogant little boy who always picked fights with Naruto. It struck him as odd, the way he had responded. Especially since he had never lowered himself to name-calling after he'd left Konoha.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto cut back. Sasuke expected him to be furious, but he noticed a small glint in Naruto's eyes. He was enjoying the bantering almost as much as Sasuke was.

_I'm getting our teammate back, Sakura-chan. When you see him again, he'll be just like you remember him. He'll be Sasuke again._ Naruto whispered fervently to himself as he thought of a comeback, while also waiting for Sasuke's response.

There was none.

* * *

Itachi's powerful and seemingly undaunted stride did not go unnoticed by Sakura. As they flashed through the trees she wondered fleetingly if he ever became tired. It seemed as if his reserves of strength and stamina were limitless. Sakura had guessed that after being so close to the Grass Country border they would enter, but so far they had remained in River, even if it was only the edges.

After becoming an ANBU, Sakura had been forced to memorize country borders and determine the difference in foliage and temperature depending on the country she was in. She could tell that she was still in River from the dampness that hung in the air that was only familiar to River and Rain. It was more humid than wet, like in Mist, and it was thick. It stuck in her lungs and made it hard to breathe as they went.

The snow didn't help either.

Sakura couldn't understand how the thickness and wetness of the air could stay, as well as the frigid dryness of winter. The mixture made breathing painful. How Itachi could continue to run at his resolute pace was a mystery to her.

The strangeness of being trapped in Itachi's arms was growing on her. Sakura knew she couldn't move, since that would cause Itachi to shift or maybe even drop her or fall himself. She couldn't afford to let that happen. The consequences would be…devastating.

But she didn't like the trapped feeling she felt in his arms. There was nothing she could do and the fear that Itachi could do anything he wished to her nagged in the back of her mind. She hated it. Every time he slowed down even for a second to regain his bearings on his packs as well as her, her mind began panicking.

What would he do to her? Was he going to rape her again? _Dear god I can't fight him off! …I'm too weak! I can't do it, I can't, I can't! …No please don't let him touch me. Sasuke-kun! Neji-kun! Lee-kun! …Deidara!!!…_and yet her fears were never realized. Nothing ever happened, and yet the disgusting dirty feeling remained, choking her in self-revulsion.

But that wasn't what made her stomach roil in disgust and loathing. No, it was something much more horrible than the memories of her rape.

It was the fact that his arms felt good, and that she didn't deny that a part of her mind loved the feeling, the warmth, the smell of him.

That scared her more than her own hopelessness. Mainly because she feared that if anything happened, not only could she not stop it…perhaps she wouldn't want to. _Stop talking like that Sakura; it's only your body talking._ Her ANBU voice sliced through the silence, trying to bring her back to reality. _Your body might betray you to him, but you can't let your mind do the same. You hate him. He killed Sasuke's family in cold blood. He murdered his own parents. No one can love a man like that._

Sakura breathed in a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. Why couldn't she be more strong and stable like Tsunade-sensei or Temari of the Sand? Or Tenten or Ino? Even Hinata had an inner strength that shined in times like these. Why couldn't Sakura find her own strength? Surely true strength wasn't just about muscles and chakra? There had to be more than that.

"Stop fidgeting."

Itachi's voice was cold, like the air around them. It was a command, pure and simple. There was no room for argument. Sakura merely froze in place, obeying his orders without question. Before…before she would have said no and fought back. But she couldn't do anything now. She was cold, injured, fatigued, drained of chakra…and for once in her life, Sakura didn't have a plan.

The genius tactician of group seven was completely stumped.

It was in that moment that she realized Naruto had been wrong about something. No matter how much spirit she had at the moment, no matter how much she wished to fight Itachi, her body just wouldn't move. She couldn't find any strength inside of herself. Naruto had always said that if you believed you could still fight, then you could. He was wrong.

Sakura closed her eyes as they continued whipping through the trees. She merely listened to the sound of Itachi's breathing, and the soft sound his sandals made when they hit the snow-laden trees. It was almost soothing. If she had been in anyone else's arms, she wouldn't have felt so apprehensive; she might have found it romantic. Now…now she was horrified of what her body might do. She wouldn't allow it to betray her.

_You're weak Sakura, live with it. There is nothing you can do. Don't you remember what the Hyugas say? You destiny and limits are already fixed. You can't become stronger. All that training you did was useless. It only made you complacent. You thought you were strong enough to fight off anyone you came across. _

_And if you couldn't you thought you could formulate a plan of escape. _

_What now Sakura?_

_Oh great one, I ask again: what now?_

_You're pathetic and useless, just a plaything for any man who can get his hands on you._

_That's all you'll ever be._

Sakura was almost shocked at her own self-vehemence. But she wasn't. She only felt ashamed that it was true. If Itachi wanted to rape her again, he'd have no trouble doing so. She'd merely be like clay in his hands, soft and malleable, able to be manipulated and used, then put back on a shelf for later. She couldn't fight back because she was weak and helpless and drained of chakra and strength.

She should never have been allowed to become ANBU.

She would have continued cursing and beating herself up, when Itachi jumped down from a limb and landed on packed earth. Wait—packed? Sakura opened her eyes as she looked around. They were at the edge of a town, in a small alleyway.

It was small and rather broken down, but Sakura saw lights in a few windows. No one was outside, however, as the snow continued to fall effortlessly. Itachi continued to carry Sakura quickly across the ground as they came upon an inn.

Itachi walked inside without knocking, which didn't surprise Sakura. The damned Uchiha thought he owned everything. The man at the counter jumped when they entered, standing straight from where he had been slumped against the counter. An old woman sat in a chair next to the young man, watching Itachi and Sakura with a kind, warm smile.

"Hello there. May I help you?"

"One room."

Itachi didn't even try to sound kind. The old woman's eyes flashed, but she continued to smile, as if she hadn't heard a thing. The man frowned.

"Of course." She grabbed a key from the wall behind her, sliding it across the counter. Itachi pulled out enough money to pay for the night. "Room 11."

Sakura whispered a small, "Thank you." Noticing that Itachi wasn't going to do so. The old woman smiled warmly at her, while the man seemed to see her for the first time. He grinned boyishly. Itachi merely grabbed the key from the table and stalked up the stairs.

The last thing Sakura heard before they were out of hearing range was the old woman:

"What an adorable couple. They must be newlyweds, surely. Did you see the way that young man held her?"

Sakura let out a small choke that was a mixture of a laugh at the absurdity of the idea, as well as a horrified scream at the thought. Itachi and her…married?

When hell froze over.

* * *

Shikamaru leaned against the tree trunk, looking to where Naruto was bantering with Sasuke. He had a feeling Sasuke was still pretty pissed at him, and he was not about to go check and see if he was right. He merely continued sitting where he was, wondering if he should have stopped Temari and the others from going.

Kakashi and Gai were huddled in a corner of the clearing, whispering about something in soft voices.

Shikamaru's brows furrowed at this. He didn't like it at all. He stood to go over to where they were when they noticed him, motioning for him to meet with them in their corner. Shikamaru slowly walked over to them, wondering at this secrecy. "Yeah?"

"Apparently, when Gai and the others searched the Akatsuki hideout, they found this scroll." Kakashi handed it to Shikamaru. "The others thought it was just blank because of the special jutsu technique placed upon it, but Gai saw through it. He decided to wait to show it to you until now."

"Why not show this to me before Temari and Neji left with their group? Is it going to endanger them in some way?" Shikamaru instantly knew that he was being foolish. Both Gai and Kakashi cared about their students, and the other shinobi. They weren't going to send them to their deaths.

"No, not that I know of. Not yet." Gai sighed, his face grim for once. "But I think you should read it."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, unraveling the scroll and scanning the lines. When he finished he looked up at Kakashi and Gai. Both hadn't believed they'd ever seen a person look so pale.

"When did you say you got this?"

"At the Akatsuki hideout three days ago."

Shikamaru nodded. "We have to send word to the Hokage. Now. Gai, I need you to take it. I can't trust a messenger bird with this."

Gai nodded slowly. "Alright…"

"Good." Shikamaru nodded. "Let's just hope we can stop it before it comes to that." He then handed the scroll to Gai, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. The others all looked up at this, but did nothing as Kakashi and Shikamaru walked back to the rest of the group.

Sasuke eyed them suspiciously, and Shikamaru had a good feeling he knew he was going to be asked a lot of questions, whether he wanted to be interrogated or not. He'd just have to make sure he wasn't alone with the Uchiha anytime soon.

* * *

When they came upon the hotel room, Itachi opened it easily, putting both Sakura and their traveling packs on the bed. Sakura watched him go to the window, opening it and then closing and locking it with a resounding click.

Sakura rubbed her ankle, though she knew it wouldn't do her any good to be thinking about the pain right now. Where were Deidara and the others? Had they gone a completely different route than Itachi and Kisame? It struck her as the sensible thing to do. If they were trying to hide their trail, they would all split up and head in different directions, sending the ANBU hunting for them on a wild goose chase.

It's what she would have told her own ANBU squad to do if they were being pursued.

There was a soft knock on the door and Sakura froze, as she saw Itachi head towards it. A kunai was placed in the folds of his cloak as he slowly slid it open. Kisame walked inside with a grin.

"Good to see that you two made it."

The tense air that had filled the room dissipated as Sakura sighed softly, turning to look out the window with a frown. Idiot Kisame. He was almost as annoying as Naruto. She immediately regretted what she thought the moment she thought it. Naruto wasn't really that annoying…he just tried too hard to get attention. And the more she related the Akatsuki members to people she knew, the harder it would be for her to remain aloof and uncaring.

"Hn." Itachi barely responded as he slid on his cloak from where he had placed it on the back of one of the chairs. He merely nodded at Kisame before heading outside.

Sakura watched all of this with a furrowed brow. She turned to Kisame. "Where did he go?"

Kisame grinned at her, showing off his pointed teeth. "He's going to go check to see if our contacts here have any information for us, little kunoichi."

"I have a name you know. It's not kunoichi." Sakura snapped.

"Of course you do, little kunoichi. But you look so much nicer with that threatening gleam in your eye." Kisame guffawed as Sakura frowned again.

"You're too tense." Kisame shrugged of his Akatsuki robe, and leaned back on the couch in the middle of the room.

Sakura kept her's on. She liked the protective feeling it gave her, knowing that it was Deidara's. He wouldn't have let her alone with Itachi and Kisame if he thought she would get hurt, right?

_He's Akatsuki, Sakura. Stop trying to make him human._

_But he _is_ human._

_No. He is a shinobi._

Sakura frowned at that. Did that mean she wasn't human?

_No. It mean's you aren't' a true shinobi, Sakura-chan._

"Here." Kisame gave another sigh as he stood in front of her, holding out a small cup of sake. "Have a drink. I promised you one before, but Itachi-san wouldn't let you come, ne?" He grinned as he shoved the cup into her hands.

"I'm not twenty."

Kisame rolled his eyes. "So? Drink up little kunoichi. It'll do you good. After a few drinks you won't be so tense and stiff. You act as if someone is going to come in here and kill you."

"I _am_ in a room with an Akatsuki member." Sakura countered.

Kisame grinned. "Don't worry little kunoichi, I'm here to protect you from anyone who would do you harm."

Sakura rolled her own eyes. "I'm flattered, Kisame-san. But _who_ is going to protect me from _you_?"

Kisame let out another hearty laugh as he took a swig of sake. "You're amusing, little kunoichi. Very amusing. Now take a drink."

_Maybe if I get him drunk enough I can escape before Itachi arrives!_ Inner Sakura mused as Sakura took a small sip of the sake. She blinked a few times as the fiery liquid ran down her throat. It made her toes tingle.

Kisame smirked. "Come on, drink the entire cup! I haven't had a good drinking partner in a long while. Itachi doesn't drink much."

Sakura downed the rest of her cup and before she could stop him, Kisame filled it again. Sakura rolled her eyes and took another sip.

She couldn't see why Itachi didn't drink that much. It seemed ok to her.

* * *

Shino leaned back on the tree branch, steadying himself. He was completely exhausted, as were the others. The only ones who seemed to be able to stand were Temari and Neji. And Temari was hard put to it.

A few of Shino's insects crawled up his fingers and he blinked. The message they relayed to him wasn't what he had expected. He hadn't really expected to use his insects as spies, but apparently his kikai thought this message was too important.

Shino was glad they had done so.

Besides…whether or not his friends knew it, the kikai inside of them were keeping them alive at the moment.

"Good work." Shino whispered into his sleeve. The insect that had been placed in Shikamaru had conveyed an interesting amount of information to Shino. Data that Shino could have done with out, even if it would have been deadly to do so. Ignorance may have been bliss, but Shino would never know. His kikai always kept him up to date.

His hand clenched as he sat down on the tree limb—hard. It couldn't be true? Could it? He supposed it was logical. The Akatsuki only worked for themselves, after all. But if they did that…then how would they get the Kyuubi?

…Unless they planned to get Naruto first and _then_…?

Shino only hoped he and the others could find Sakura before then. If anything happened to Sakura…well, he wouldn't be the only one affected. However, he had gotten closer to her than he had to a _lot_ of people. Besides his old teammates, Hinata and Kiba, she knew more about him than anyone else. Maybe even _more_ than Hinata and Kiba did. They'd always found him slightly disconcerting.

_"Shino-san?" Sakura looked in on his hospital room, frowning as she saw him standing. "You're still weak from your injuries."_

"_I will be alright, Sakura-san."_

_Sakura smiled slightly, one of her sad smiles as she closed the door behind her and walked into the room fully. She was dressed in her normal hospital attire, but she didn't wear the nurse uniform like the others, because she was not an official nurse. She merely helped out with injuries that were too severe for regular healing means when Shizune and Tsunade were busy._

_She sat down on the edge of Shino's bed, motioning for him to do the same. He did so. "I heard you completed your mission successfully?"_

_Shino looked up with a nod. He realized that she was probably here to gather information about the mission for Tsunade. He would have to write a report later, but he might as well give it orally now._

"_Hai. Shikamaru, Ino, Anko, and Tenten were all falling unconscious because of the special poison gas the grass shinobi were using."_

_Sakura nodded for him to continue. She had already heard about the rest of the mission from the others. She just needed to know what happened after the other ANBU in the group fell unconscious._

"_Kenji was injured gravely and already unconscious." Kenji was the rookie Jônin on their team, one who hadn't been with them in the Genin days, a new recruit._

"_Anko had been injured the most, since she was the most experienced member of the team and had been the main target of the grass shinobi. As I am sure you know, she had been stabbed through the chest, just missing the heart. Shikamaru was still trying to hold their shadows in place, but the poison was getting to him. He managed long enough, however, to keep them in place so Ino could do a mind transfer jutsu. When she was inside of one of the other shinobi, she didn't feel the effects of the poison. However, her true body was inhaling it, so she was still falling unconscious. Tenten's accuracy was waning as well, and she was stumbling slightly."_

"_Why weren't you affected by the poison, Shino-san?"_

"_My insects were inhaling it and turning it into oxygen."_

"_Oh?" Sakura blinked. "They can do that?"_

"_The poison the grass shinobi used was a special type, one that is deadly to humans, but not to my kikai insects. It is actually a poison that they can feed on."_

_Sakura nodded in surprise. _

"_After Ino's mind transfer, Shikamaru fainted, Tenten as well. Anko had fainted shortly before. Ino took out one of the shinobi before the others realized what was going on and attacked the shinobi she was inside. Ino barely managed to get back into her own body before they killed the grass shinobi she had inhabited. She then fell unconscious."_

_Shino lifted his hand and a few of his insects filtered onto his fingers. He watched them as he continued._

"_I was the only one left and there were ten more shinobi. I could tell that five of them were waning in strength from trying to break free of Shikamaru's shadow possession. One had been grievously injured by Tenten—a kunai through the ribcage, I believe. It had punctured a lung. I went for them first. I used a substitution jutsu and came up behind the first two, cutting them down with my kunai. I then transferred with one of my insect clones and attacked two more. There were now only six left._

_The next four were easily dealt with; only because I don't think even _they_ could withstand the poison for very long. Also, Anko had managed to summon one snake that had injured them before disappearing after Anko's unconsciousness. The last two provided more of a resistance. I sent my kikai into one of them to drain out all of his chakra, and I fought one on one with the other."_

"_So he's the one that gave you that?" Sakura pointed to the large bandage on his stomach, where a large gaping hole had once been._

"_I saw that Shikamaru and the others were dying, so I was hard put to kill them and became sloppy."_

_Sakura nodded once more._

"_He got me with a strange chakra filled punch. It was similar to your own, which surprised me. After I got over my shock I killed him by severing the jugular." Shino's reports were always to-the-point._

"_Ah." Sakura nodded. "And then what did you do? They were all injured. Ino would have been able to subdue the poison if she hadn't been unconscious, but apparently it was a type of poison that the medics haven't found an antidote for, since she didn't have one. She wouldn't have been able to know you were immune."_

"_Hai. When I saw that the poison was killing them…I sent my kikai into them to destroy it."_

_Sakura looked a bit surprised at this, but said nothing. "You didn't tell them, did you?"_

"_It would make them uncomfortable…since I had to leave some inside each of them."_

"_Nani?"_

"_They had inhaled too much poison for the insects to turn back into oxygen. The bugs are still maintaining the poison levels by transferring it back into their own bodies. Until the antidote is found, they will have to stay."_

_Sakura nodded slowly. "That's understandable. Don't worry about it, Shino-san. You did it to save your team. That was a very good idea. I am sure Shikamaru would have told you to do it if it meant the death of your team or their lives, as would Anko. They both know that the completion and success of the missions, as well as the lives of the shinobi, were more important than that."_

_Shino shrugged, "Are you sure?"_

"_I won't tell them Shino. That's a job for Tsunade-dono. I have no power to give away the information of your report to others. It's not harming them, it's helping. When we get the antidote then perhaps Tsunade-dono will tell them."_

_Sakura grinned at Shino's surprised look, "Besides…I'm not going to destroy a friend's trust by spreading his secrets, ne?"_

"_Friends?"_

_Sakura let out a small laugh, rare in those days as she put a hand on his chest, easing the soreness with her healing chakra as they sat there. _

"_Hai, Shino-san." She let out another small laugh as she shook her head. "Friends." _

* * *

Kisame let out another guffaw and Sakura couldn't help but laugh along with him. He was easy to laugh with—and at. At the moment he was doing a Deidara impression that Sakura found hilarious, even though it wasn't very good. In fact, it was horrible.

But that was fine, because the sake she was drinking made everything seem ten times better. Of course, she was keeping a check on her drinking. The moment she had begun she'd started taking out the alcohol from the drink, little by little. It was slowly sobering her, even though she wasn't feeling the effects at the moment.

However, unlike Kisame, she was not going to have a hangover in the morning. Also, she wouldn't let any information slip. She's hidden it all in the back of her mind, where she would never find it in her drunken state. It was a special jutsu Ino had taught her, how to separate the parts of her mind. It had been mainly used to keep a person from becoming trapped inside of a mind-control jutsu, like Ino's, but Sakura had decided this way helped to.

After all, she was starting to think she liked sake.

_Great_, Inner-Sakura giggled hysterically, _I'm as drunk as a fox! Fox…hehehe, like Naruto? I wonder what Naruto would be like drunk?_ A picture of Naruto dancing in the middle of his apartment with a lampshade on his head—with a mortified Hinata in the background—made her burst into laughter.

"Wha' is it?" Kisame blinked.

Sakura shook her head, getting her laughter under control. "Nothing, Kisame-san. Don't worry about it."

Kisame nodded, downing another cup of sake. Sakura stared at him in horror. She'd been drinking moderately, pretending to drink all that Kisame gave her, and she was MORE than drunk. She was passed drunk. But Kisame had downed three times as much alcohol as she had.

_He's going to end up with liver failure._ She frowned, the medic in her taking over. _All that alcohol CAN'T be good for his health._ In her semi-drunken stupor, Sakura leaned forward, placing a hand on Kisame's stomach. He stopped laughing as he blinked, looking at her warily.

Sakura pushed her healing chakra—the small amount she'd gained back from the alcohol—into him and began searching around. She found what she was looking for—and winced.

"You're liver is failing, you know." Sakura called out in a small daze as she kept her mind's eye on his insides, pushing some chakra into the organ, watching it spasm slightly. Kisame let out a roar of pain. Sakura shoved more chakra inside to take away the pain she'd just caused.

Kisame settled, still watching her, though his eyes were sharp and his hand was placed on his sword.

Sakura began trying something else, molding chakra around his organ, making a small barrier and flushing out the excess alcohol. "There! Now your liver is protected. It will take out most of the alcohol for you, so you don't go ruining it even more with your incessant drinking."

Kisame looked down at his stomach then back at her with a grin. "You'd better protect your liver too, S—akura." He managed, his eyes closing, "Cause I have a feeling you're going to be my drinking partner for a lot longer."

Sakura watched him fall over, drunk as a dog. _Maybe I shouldn't have healed him. That will only urge him to drink even more, the idiot._ Sakura shook her head, her drunkenness slowly fading. _He's so drunk he even called me by my name._

Sakura couldn't help but smile softly as she grabbed her pack from the table, as well as Kisame's Samehada. Kisame would be hard put to find her when he awoke, drunk or no. "The anesthesia I injected into him couldn't have hurt either." Sakura then shouldered her pack, as well as placed Deidara's cloak on her shoulders.

She felt a twinge of regret as she did so. She'd miss Deidara…but she was being held against her will. And he was Akatsuki.

She slipped outside of the door easily, severing the chakra bond on it with Kisame's Samehada. It sucked the chakra straight out of it. She then put the Samehada back inside the room. She quickly ran down the hallway, as silently as possible as she did so.

She slipped into another person's room, jumping out their window. She landed on the ground effortlessly, which made her smile slightly. Her ankle didn't bother her at all. It was amazing how much chakra she had regained from the sake.

Sakura placed her Akatsuki hat onto her head as she headed down the road, using back streets until she came to the edge of the forest. The only thing on her mind right now was getting as far away from Itachi and Kisame as possible.

Where she went didn't matter. Knowing Itachi, he would believe she would head backwards in an attempt to meet up with her ANBU team that was searching for her. So instead, Sakura headed east. If she could make it to the Sand border, she would be safe. She was in the Sand shinobi book as an ally. They'd get her to the Sand Village to Gaara, if not all the way back to Konoha.

Sakura whipped through the trees, the bell on the Akatsuki hat chiming and the tassels flying in the breeze. She was glad Itachi had reset the bone for her. The only thing she'd had to do was heal the soreness and strengthen the bone.

The sake had sure helped.

Of course, the food pills she'd eaten from her pack hadn't hurt. She'd be good for three-days straight. Hopefully she could find some friendly shinobi allies before then.

* * *

Tsunade, 5th Hokage of Konoha, sat down in her desk, her eyes blurry and tired. Age lines, usually hidden beneath her anti-aging jutsu, were slowly creeping up on her. She was so absorbed in the scroll she was reading that she hardly noticed it was fading. The dark bags under her eyes only seemed to increase and darken as she scanned the lines.

Shizune watched her from across the desk where she sat in her respective seat. While Tsunade read, Shizune tried to stop herself from wondering what information could be so troubling to her sensei by looking around her office. Without Shizune's cleaning and redecorating, she wondered just how monstrous it would look, since it wasn't the most beautiful room at the moment.

In fact, it reminded Shizune of a little child's playroom. Styrofoam cups, half filled and tipped over on the carpet, littered the entire office. Shizune would have to get a cleaning team in there soon. Papers were scattered across the desk and stuffed into manila envelopes stacked on shelves. Still no matter how dirty the room was, Shizune couldn't blame Tsunade completely. She had a lot of things on her mind at the moment. She was going over papers to decide Sasuke Uchiha's fate when he came back from his mission…the mission to save Sakura Haruno.

Shizune didn't know if she had ever seen Tsunade get so drunk, which was amazing in itself. Tsunade was a big drinker to begin with, and seeing her worse than usual was almost impossible. She was so worried about Sakura that she had barely eaten. She'd tried to shirk her duties in meeting with the council of Konoha in order to do research on the Akatsuki, to find anything to give them the upper hand in getting back Sakura. Besides that, they were still having trouble rebuilding from Orochimaru's attack. Not to mention the fact that he was still out there somewhere.

And now this scroll…Shizune's eyes drifted down to the scroll, her curiosity rising. She knew it must have been from Shikamaru and his group of ANBU, since Gai himself had brought it personally. Gai hadn't looked much better than Tsunade did now. He was leaning against the wall, his gaze serious.

Shizune didn't know if Tsunade had made a good decision in sending two of the three most powerful ANBU captains out to find Sakura, the third. She knew it was Tsunade's own affection for the girl that was leading her to do something so outrageous.

With the threat of another attack from Orochimaru looming on the horizon, this was the last thing they needed. Shizune was already working nonstop as well, for she had a soft spot for the young bubblegum haired kunoichi just like Tsunade, but the sensible side of her knew that it was practically a losing battle they were fighting.

Still, what kind of report could it have been to make Tsunade like this?

The door suddenly opened after a brief knock, and Yuuhi Kurenai walked inside, closing the door behind her. She smiled at them, "Good morning Shizune-san, Tsunade-dono." She turned to see Gai with surprise, "Gai-san? What are you—?"

BAM.

Shizune looked up, startled. Kurenai literally jumped. Gai's troubled gaze did not falter. Tsunade had slammed her fist onto her desk. Both of the kunoichi spoke at the same time, their tones worried and a little frightened, "Tsunade-dono?"

Tsunade didn't seem to hear them. She buried her head in her hands, letting out a small groan of frustration. "Dammit. Damn, damn, damn…"

Shizune was used to curses from Tsunade, who wasn't exactly the poster girl for ladylike qualities. Still, the repetition of a single curse usually wasn't good.

"Tsunade-dono?" Kurenai whispered. Tsunade finally looked up at them all and they let out a small gasp of surprise. Tsunade looked down to see that her anti-aging jutsu had worn off and she replaced it quickly without a real thought about it. Her eyes till remained old and fatigued as she smiled wearily at them both, then her mouth became set in a grim line like before.

"Shizune, get Anko and any other Jônin that's in Konoha here immediately."

"Nani?"

"It's about _him_."

Shizune and Kurenai's gazes immediately darkened. They both turned to look at Gai, but he did nothing to show that he knew what was inside the scroll, just merely stared ahead.

"But Tsunade-dono, I thought the note was from Shikamaru about Sakura."

"It is. He's come across some interesting information."

Kurenai stepped forward, "Tsunade-dono, I'll go get them."

Tsunade just smiled, "Hai, Kurenai-san. Go on." Kurenai hurriedly left, disappearing in an instant.

"What does this have information have to do with Sakura _and_ Orochimaru?" Shizune asked softly, not liking the feel of Orochimaru's name crossing her lips. It always sent chills up her spine.

"Everything." Tsunade shook her head in annoyance. "…Shizune." Tsunade suddenly became more alert. "I want all the ANBU in the area brought back to Konoha. With the others gone…" She trailed off.

"Of course Tsunade-sensei." Shizune stood up getting ready to send out the word.

"And Shizune," Tsunade began again.

"Hai?"

"I don't care where the hell he is, I need Jiraiya here. Now."

Shizune watched as Tsunade put her head in her hands once more, leaning on the desk with a loud sigh.

Shizune waited till the door was closed before she broke into a run to do as she had been ordered. What had Shikamaru learned about Orochimaru? And why did it involve the Akatsuki…and Sakura?

* * *

When Itachi walked into the hotel he immediately knew something was amiss. For one, his chakra bond on the apartment door was gone. Not merely undone, as if with hand seals, but completely nonexistent. He rushed up the stairs with the speed that was normal for all shinobi, though his was quicker than most.

He opened the door, his eyes glowing bright red with more than just Sharingan.

Kisame noticed—still half drunk and only halfway comprehending anything—that he almost radiated hatred. It rolled off him in silent waves. Kisame cringed, "Itachi-san, I don't know what happened…"

"You're drunk."

Kisame winced. Itachi's voice was colder than usual as he headed to the door. He stopped, noticing that Kisame's Samehada was leaning against the wall next to it. _So…how clever of my cherry blossom. She severed the chakra bond with Kisame's Samehada instead of using her own energy._ As much as Itachi would have loved to revel in the intelligence and quick thinking of the pink-haired kunoichi, he had no time to do so. She was missing and he had to find her.

Kisame stood shakily, rubbing his head as he placed on his hat and Akatsuki cloak. "Itachi-san, she drugged me with some kind of medical jutsu…" He looked up, but Itachi was not there.

Kisame cursed inwardly as he headed outside as well, hurrying to catch up with the nimble Uchiha who was slipping through the trees at inhuman speeds. Kisame really didn't want to see what would happen to himself if they didn't find the kunoichi. The moment he had awoken from his sleep, he'd called himself ten different kinds of idiot. What kind of baka would fall for that trick? She may have been a young, sweet looking girl, who seemed as innocent as the day she was born; but she was a shinobi—more importantly, she was ANBU.

Kisame really needed to find her. After all, if he didn't get her back…well…Leader would probably have to find Itachi a new partner.

* * *

Hinata rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she let out a small yawn. Beside her, someone shifted. Hinata turning with a small, not fully awake, smile—until she saw who it was. She jumped up out of her blanket, face furiously red. "N-Naruto-k-kun!?!?!"

"Ne—yawn—Hinata-chan?" Naruto grinned sleepily. "What is it?"

Ino burst into laughter at that moment, almost doubling over as she tried to suppress her mirth. Lee and Choji weren't far behind.

Kakashi merely chuckled from behind his facemask, his eyes tilting up as he smiled. The Sand ANBU watched them warily, their faces and emotions hidden behind their masks.

Sasuke merely glared at them all, as if they were the most immature children he had ever seen.

Shikamaru shook his head, "So troublesome…" He sighed deeply, "Alright team. Let's go. We're heading to Sand so let's get going. It'll take us forever at this rate."

Ino sidled alongside Hinata, who was trying to cover her red cheeks with her cool hands. "So, I guess you and Naruto-kun decided to share body warmth, ne?"

Hinata squealed slightly as she closed her eyes in mortification, not looking at Naruto who was still asleep on his feet.

Sasuke jumped passed them all, heading off in the direction Shikamaru had pointed. Shikamaru and Kakashi shared a glance. Kakashi sighed softly as he headed after the Uchiha and Shikamaru waited for the others to get ready.

As soon as they had packed, Shikamaru motioned for them to head out after the two Sharingan wielders. As they sidled through the trees, his frown grew. He did not like where any of this was going. That scroll…dammit. Shikamaru barely refrained from cursing aloud. Things just had to get worse, didn't they? They couldn't possibly be given a break.

_Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Shikamaru. Just think about Sakura-san. What's _she_ going to do?_ Shikamaru berated himself as they continued through the trees. They caught up with Sasuke and Kakashi easily. Sasuke had merely wanted to show them all that it was time to go.

_Man…what a drag…_

* * *

Sakura could slowly feel the effect of the soldier pills waning. She merely gritted her teeth, picking up her speed by pure willpower alone. If she didn't meet an allied shinobi soon, then she was in deep trouble. She could feel two prominent chakras closing in on her. She recognized them both: Kisame and Itachi.

Sakura bit down on her finger, feeling the skin break as she did so. She spit the metallic tang from her mouth as she hurriedly did a few hand signs. "_Kyuichose No Jutsu_!" She slammed her hand into the tree branch underneath her and smiled triumphantly. Standing beside her was now a human sized slug. It was Kayume, the slug she had been working with for years now. They had similar chakra levels and worked well together. They nodded in silent understanding as Kayume turned into a clone of Sakura and headed north.

Sakura veered west as she tried to hide her chakra levels. Hopefully, when Kisame and Itachi realized that she had made a clone, they would think the weaker chakra level was the clone and go for Kayume.

Just in case…Sakura placed a few hidden exploding tags on some of the outstretched tree limbs. That way, she would be alerted to anyone following her. Sakura mentally calculated her distance from the sand village by the visibility of a certain star she had studied. It was Shikamaru's theory that by pinpointing a certain star and calculating it's distance from your current location, you could calculate the distance to any other location in the world. _Thank the lord for Shikamaru._ Sakura inwardly cheered as she realized she was only three days from the village. And if she could find some of their ANBU before reaching the village she would have protection…

Sakura felt the two chakras stop when they reached the place she and Kayume and split. Both of the chakras went after Kayume. Sakura couldn't help but give a small laugh of relief as she continued speeding towards sand. Apparently Itachi wasn't the absolute genius everyone thought he was.

_Sakura: 1, Itachi: 0. _Inner Sakura roared in triumph. _Cha!_ Sakura shook her head with a wry smile as she jumped to another tree limb. As soon as she reached the next town, she'd hide in the crowd and lay low for a day or so, since she wasn't being followed.

However, judging by her calculations and the maps of River and Rain that she'd studied, she wasn't anywhere close to one. She'd have to bunk down in the forest for the night.

Sakura decided she'd go a few more miles before finding a campsite. She hoped it would rain. Then her trail would be lost forever.

Suddenly Sakura stopped as she let out a choked scream. Pain erupted from her chest and she let out a yell as she completely lost her footing, falling to the ground.

She didn't even manage to land on her feet, merely plowed into the ground shoulder first. She heard her shoulder snap at the impact, but the throbbing pain in her shoulder was nothing compared to the pain in her chest. She was finding it hard to breathe as she gasped for air, stirring up the dust on the forest floor with her exhalations.

Two figures landed in front of her and Sakura studied the hem of their cloaks. They were black with red clouds. _Damn!_ Sakura cursed herself as her vision began blurring. She blinked, fighting unconsciousness as she got into a sitting position, crying out as pain erupted from everywhere in her body.

When she looked up the two people standing in front of her were not the ones she thought she'd be seeing.

Her jade eyes did not meet with the scarlet Sharingan…but pure silver, like the tempered steel of a sharp blade.

**(A/N: Whew…that was challenging! I bet everyone's just waiting to find out about that scroll, huh? Getting Sakura stone drunk could have been fun, but I doubt she'd ever drink that much. Kisame on the other hand? Well, he's just a raging alcoholic. Anyways…does anyone have a guess who Sakura just met? It's probably not going to end well, I can tell you that.**

**Oh, and I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. You made my day! I love reviews and would enjoy more of your input. Thanks again!)**


	8. Chapter 7:Sakura’s Savior: Sharingan?

**Chapter 7 **

**Sakura's Savior: The Scarlet Sharingan?**

"…Tomokazu-san?" Sakura ground out from between clenched teeth. She couldn't control the shaking of her body as she stared up at him. She couldn't tell if she was shaking because of the cold…or because of fear.

Tomokazu said nothing as she watched her, a small sneer on his handsome face. He squatted down to her eye level, eyes narrowing. "Trying to escape?"

His voice was even colder than the chilling wind that blew at that precise moment. Sakura inwardly winced. She looked at Zetsu out of the corner of her eye, but he did nothing to acknowledge her. However, a troubled look was plastered onto his face. Fear shined through his eyes, directed at Tomokazu.

_Even the other Akatsuki are afraid of him…_ Sakura placed one hand behind her back slowly, reaching for a kunai. "How did you know it was me?" She had to keep him distracted!

"I didn't." Tomokazu smirked.

Sakura faltered. "Nani? But you attacked me…you mean…even if I were another Akatsuki member…you would have…?" _He wasn't trying to find you, Sakura. He was trying to kill another Akatsuki member. _Her ANBU voice answered her question as Tomokazu continued to grin wickedly at her. But the only Akatsuki who would have been in the area were Kisame and…Itachi. _He was trying to kill Itachi!_

"I'm a bit surprised to see you here, Sakura Haruno." Tomokazu continued as he watched her from behind his dark bangs. "I didn't think Itachi was so weak he couldn't handle a low-level kunoichi like yourself."

Sakura gritted her teeth as she snapped out, "Do you insult everyone, or just the Akatsuki members you're afraid of?" Suddenly she was hauled against a tree, her back slamming into it full-force. Her shoulder was jarred again and she whimpered softly.

"You think I'm afraid of Uchiha Itachi?" Tomokazu asked in a deadly whisper, his lips at her ear. When she didn't answer, he slammed her harder into the tree. "Well?"

Sakura breathed in deeply. She didn't know why, but a part of her wanted to defend Itachi. Maybe not because she liked him…but because anyone was better than Tomokazu. He frightened her more than anything. Mostly because out of all the Akatsuki members she had read scrolls about, she had never found one with information about Tomokazu except for his name and the ring he wore. He was a complete enigma.

Zetsu stepped forward, "Maa, maa, Tomokazu-san. We are not supposed to hurt Haruno Sakura. She is bait for the Kyuubi."

"Shut up, you fool!" Tomokazu snapped back at him, before turning back to Sakura. "Well?"

Sakura answered truthfully, "Everyone knows Uchiha Itachi is the strongest member of the Akatsuki. Even the legendary Sannin Orochimaru is afraid of him. Which means you must be terrified."

Suddenly Sakura was flying through the clearing, slamming into a tree opposite the one she had just been pushed against. She felt her breath leave her as she slumped to the ground. Blood trickled from her mouth as she looked down at her stomach in horror. What she saw made her stare in growing dread.

"Tomokazu-san!" Zetsu called out in dismay. "What have you done?"

Sakura stared, wide-eyed, at the large tree branch jutting from her abdomen. It was covered in a warm, red liquid. Her blood.

Tomokazu did not seem affected at the sight of the bleeding kunoichi impaled on a tree branch. "Uchiha Itachi is not the strongest shinobi in the Akatsuki."

"She's going to bleed to death! Neither of us are medical ninjas." Zetsu cried out in fright and panic, then the other half of him answered coldly, "Leader said she was needed alive."

"Shut up."

Sakura coughed up another mouthful of blood as she continued to look at the large branch. She could feel the blood being drained from her body as she sat there, her attention solely on the imminent death now coming over her.

"…but he's stronger than you, Tomokazu-san." Sakura whispered feebly as she looked up at him with a strange glint in her eye. "If you weren't afraid of him…you wouldn't be trying to use me as his weakness."

"TOMOKAZU-SAN!" Zetsu yelled out as Tomokazu disappeared, and the ground in front of Sakura erupted as he charged forward. Sakura watched him come at her stoically, the blood trickling from her mouth.

Sakura blinked as the scene in front of her changed. No longer was Tomokazu charging for her. In fact, he was standing completely still.

Of course, not many people would have a desire to move with the large Samehada placed at their neck.

* * *

Temari landed on the ground in front of her with a small sigh of relief. They were finally going to get some real sleep, after days of traveling with only a few fifteen-minute naps.

Kiba did a few hand signs and Akamaru turned into a puppy in a puff of smoke. He jumped into Kiba's jacket, yipping playfully. Kiba grinned down at him before zipping his jacket up fully.

Shino shook his head with a small sigh as he placed his hands in his pockets.

Neji merely looked annoyed that they were stopping.

Tenten let out a happy murmur as she spotted the hotel. How long had she been without a bath? She was too disgusted and revolted to even count the days. She merely shrugged her shoulders as she followed Temari inside.

"We'd like a room for two, please." Temari said smoothly with a small smile at the young man behind the counter. He blushed a deep red as he nodded, handing her a key.

"And we'll need a room for three." Kiba grinned as he motioned to himself, Shino, and Neji.

The man took off a key and was about to give it to them when Akamaru popped his head out of Kiba's jacket with a small yip. The man frowned slightly, "We don't allow dogs in the rooms."

"Aw come on, he's family." Kiba argued.

"No dogs. We can't have fleas in this hotel."

"_Fleas_? I'll show you fleas!" Kiba began to growl in the back of his throat and would have lunged at the poor man if a voice hadn't stopped him.

"Oh, let them have a room."

All of them turned to see an elderly woman with a kind smile. She gave the young man a reproving look before handing the key to Kiba. "Here you are young man. I'm sure the dog isn't going to give anyone fleas." She snickered as if remembering something long past.

"But grandmother…" The man began.

"Be quiet, for once." The old woman snapped teasingly.

Kiba and the others were headed up the stairs when they heard the man speaking to his grandmother.

"Grandmother, what kind of establishment do you think we're running here? I mean, first those shinobi with the black and red cloaks and now a _dog_?"

Temari froze, whirling around. "Excuse me? Did you say shinobi with red and black cloaks?"

"Hai." The man nodded eagerly, as if he had wanted to tell this story for a long time. "Two of them. One had a blue skin, from what I could see beneath his hat. The other one had black hair and was carrying a pink haired girl—"

"Where did they go!?!?!" Kiba asked hurriedly, almost jumping over the table. "Where?"

"I-I don't know!" The man stammered at the ferocity in Kiba's eyes. "They disappeared a day ago, right from the hotel. No one even saw them leave."

Temari and Neji exchanged a glance and nodded.

Tenten saw them and let out a groan of annoyance. "Oh no…" She shouldered her pack with a loud sigh. "Here we go again."

"Come on Tenten!" Kiba grinned. "We're hot on their trail. Maybe Akamaru can get their scent."

"Do you have their room keys with you?" Neji asked.

"Hai." The old woman nodded as she pulled them out. Akamaru jumped onto the counter and sniffed the keys in her hand. He let out a triumphant bark as he jumped off the table; turning back into his three foot self in another puff of smoke.

Both the old woman and the man jumped at this, but couldn't do anything else as the group of shinobi in front of them disappeared after the dog.

* * *

Tsunade stared around at the group assembled in front of her.

Anko looked tired, as if she had been up the entire night before.

Jiraiya looked as bored and annoyed as always, as he slumped into his chair, sighing. He did look alert, however, as if he understood the gravity of the situation.

Asuma was leaning against the wall, his face serious as he crossed his arms over his chest, eyes dark. Kurenai sat down in a seat next to Asuma.

Ibiki remained calm through it all, unlike the others. Of course, he had seen lots of things, so not much fazed him. He didn't seem surprised at the fact that he had been called to the Hokage's office in the middle of the night by a pale and frightened Kurenai.

Sai had an exasperated look on his face, as if he could think of a thousand other places to be at the moment. Tsunade didn't like that. He always acted as if the world revolved around him and anything that didn't deal with him directly was a waste of his time.

Sato and Aarriko were both seated by Sai, though they didn't look too happy at the moment. Both had continually begged Tsunade to let them go and help find Sakura, but Aarriko was still very weak, and she wasn't about to send any more shinobi out of the village. Especially not after the information Shikamaru had gathered.

Gemma was sitting with Raido and Iwashi, talking with Gai.

Izumo and Kotetsu were standing with the other Chûnin that were assembled in front of her.

"All of you, anything I saw here cannot go beyond this room." Tsunade began seriously. She started to pace, a bad habit she had when agitated. All of the shinobi followed her with their eyes.

"All of you know that Sakura Haruno, an ANBU captain, was kidnapped by the Akatsuki. We sent three squads of ANBU after her in hopes of getting her back." Tsunade continued pacing in front of them.

"After meeting with the Sand ANBU that the Kazekage sent to help find Sakura-chan, the ANBU squads found an Akatsuki hideout in River. Unfortunately the Akatsuki had left after hearing of their arrival."

Tsunade stopped pacing for a moment, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before continuing. "However, Sakura-chan managed to give us enough information to continue the search. She hid a note for them to find that told them that the Akatsuki were heading somewhere in Stone, to Deidara of the Akatsuki's home."

Gemma snickered, "Sounds like something Kakashi's student would do."

Tsunade managed a small smile and a nod before instantly sobering. "Kakashi-san and Gai-san found a scroll inside of the Akatsuki hideout that I believe is of the utmost importance."

At this point, Tsunade pulled out the scroll, unraveling it slightly. "Gai-san came back here with it. I would like to read it to all of you. However, I will stress the fact once more that anything that is read cannot leave this room."

After she met everyone's eyes and they all nodded seriously, Tsunade began reading:

_Orochimaru-san,_

_After hearing of the unfortunate escape of Uchiha Sasuke, our Leader is sympathetic with your condition. He believes he has something that could possibly cheer you._

_A young female ANBU captain by the name of Sakura Haruno has come into our possession. She is an exceptional medic-nin of Konoha, trained under the Sannin Tsunade herself. _

_It is said her medical abilities almost outdo Tsunade's. I had heard that even after your body transfer, your arms are still useless. Even your servant Kabuto cannot fix them. _

_Also, it is said that the Sannin Tsunade taught Haruno the Genesis of Rebirth technique, one you have long valued and sought after._

_It has come to my leader's attention that perhaps you could be in need of some assistance. And so, he has offered a trade._

_Give us the scroll my Leader has asked for, and Sakura Haruno shall be delivered to you safely. You may do whatever you wish with her once she is in your possession, as long as we have the scroll._

_For the lasting peace between the Akatsuki and the Village of Sound, I would suggest you take this transaction into long consideration. _

_As long as we obtain the scroll, you may do as you wish, and your former betrayal of the Akatsuki shall become void. _

_As you can see, this matter is well worth your while, Orochimaru-san. Our leader shall await your answer. I suggest you make your decision known to him in three weeks time._

_Tomokazu_

Tsunade looked up at the shinobi assembled around her. All of them looked to her in surprise and shock.

"Hokage-dono…" Anko began, "If Orochimaru's arm are healed…his forces shall be very strong."

"Hai." Asuma nodded. "We'd be almost defenseless without those three ANBU teams."

"I know." Tsunade bit out, eyes moist. "But I cannot give up on Sakura-chan. The ANBU teams shall continue to look for her."

"I know how you feel about her, Hokage-dono, but the logical thing to do in this situation—" Raido began.

"I am not asking for your input, Raido-san!" Tsunade snapped, immediately regretting it. She let out a small sigh, "I am sorry, I did not mean that. I understand what you are saying, but you must also look at the other side of the spectrum."

"Which is?" Kurenai asked.

"If Sakura-chan can be rescued from the Akatsuki, then Orochimaru's arms will not be healed." Jiraiya answered from where he sat. He shifted in his seat, fingers laced together. "However, the chance of them getting her back here safely before then is slim to none."

"But we have to find Sakura-san!" Aarriko argued. "If she were to fall into the hands of Orochimaru, he would merely use her to heal his arms and then kill her."

"…Hai." Tsunade whispered.

"She is a shinobi, Aarriko." Iwashi began seriously. "She has been taught that death is always a possible outcome of a mission or situation."

Tsunade nodded again. "The reason I wish to get Sakura-chan back is not because I am worried she will be forced to heal Orochimaru's arms…" She trailed off into painful silence.

The others watched her worriedly.

"What are you worried will happen, Hokage-dono?" Ibiki questioned.

_"…Tsunade-sensei…" Sakura whispered in horror and fright as she stared at the corpse in front of them. "What happened to him?"_

_Tsunade said nothing as the body was lifted onto the stretcher and carried into the hospital's morgue. _

"_Tsunade-sensei, there were no wounds on his body, and I checked it for poison. There was none. What killed him?"_

_Tsunade looked up, for she had forgotten Sakura was in the room. "…Sakura-chan, you know that above all else, the shinobi of Konoha must protect their village, ne?"_

"_Hai."_

"_Well…if protecting the village means death before you can be tortured and information can be taken from you then…"_

_Sakura looked up in confusion. "Tsunade-sensei…do you mean to tell me that he killed himself so that he would not be tortured for information."_

"_Hai, Sakura-chan." Tsunade whispered sadly as she stared out the window of the hospital room. "It is a special jutsu that is taught to shinobi sent on very dangerous missions that have a possibility of capture." _

_Tsunade began pacing around the room as Sakura watched from where she sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Tsunade turned to Sakura once more, "The jutsu destroys any information inside of the body that could be gathered from enemy shinobi. It is a very complex jutsu that not many can learn."_

"_The ultimate sacrifice of a shinobi…" Sakura whispered more to herself than anything. "To keep the village safe from enemies…even if it mean's sacrificing your own life." _

_Tsunade continued to watch her. Sakura's head was down, her pink hair hiding her eyes from view. Suddenly Sakura looked up, her troubled eyes hard and determined._

"_Tsunade-sensei. Will you teach me this jutsu?" _

"I believe Sakura-chan will kill herself before she would heal Orochimaru's arms…" Tsunade answered gravely, "…with the suicide jutsu I taught her."

There was another very long period of silence.

Then Jiraiya spoke once more. "Tsunade, I know you swore never to teach it to anyone but…did you teach Sakura-chan the Genesis of Rebirth technique?"

Tsunade's silence was more than enough to answer his question.

* * *

Sakura stared in wonder at Kisame and Itachi. Both were standing in front of her, Kisame's Samehada placed at Tomokazu's neck. Zetsu was staring in surprise at the two's appearance.

Tomokazu did nothing to show he even knew they existed. He merely looked them over uninterestedly, before taking a step back and pushing Kisame's sword away. "Don't touch me with that thing."

Kisame let out a small growl deep in his throat. "When I'm through with you, little snot, the last thing on your mind will be what I killed you with."

"Stand down, Kisame-san."

All of them turned to look at Itachi. To many he wouldn't seem any different than usual, but Sakura knew better. What surprised her most was the fury radiating from his body. It was almost physical. It rolled off him in silent waves, his red Sharingan blazing even brighter. The color of blood.

Sakura had no time to really dwell on it, however, as she fought to remain conscious. If it had not been for the fact that she was dying she might have found the scene slightly amusing. After all, here she was, a 'damsel in distress' who was being fought over by s-class criminals. _And to think, Ino always said I had a large forehead…_ Sakura let out a rough laugh to herself, the movement causing pain to shoot through her body.

Kisame looked down at her worriedly. He'd never seen her so pale. The whiteness of her skin rivaled the snow that had just begun to fall. Her eyes were no longer a bright and glossy jade, but the dull, pale green of a sickly plant before it withers away. Her Akatsuki robe was covered in red blood, the right side of it flaring out and slipping off her shoulder to reveal what was underneath. The large tree branch jutted from her obi, slicing through both the yukata and it's bindings. The snow around her was already crimson, and the ground was wet.

_If she hadn't stood up to Tomokazu…she wouldn't have gotten into this trouble. If she hadn't talked back to him about Itachi…_ Kisame shook his head as he turned back to Tomokazu and Zetsu. Why _had_ the kunoichi defended Itachi?

"What the hell were you thinking, Tomokazu-san?" Kisame tried to make himself sound pleasant, but it only came out in the sickening sweet voice of someone who would rather rip your throat out than talk to you.

"It was an accident…." Zetsu began carefully, as if he were trying to find the right words. "Tomokazu-san merely lost control for a moment. I am sure that—"

"What's wrong, Itachi? Are you angry with me?" Tomokazu cut in, smiling evilly.

Itachi's eyes narrowed but he did nothing else to acknowledge Tomokazu's presence, or his remark.

"Are you mad because I hurt your little _cherry blossom_?"

"Hn." Itachi snorted slightly, playing with a kunai, twiddling it between his fingers. His eyes remained on its cold, hard surface. "I am not like Deidara-san. I do not become attached to hostages."

Tomokazu gave a derived snort of his own, as if he didn't believe it at all.

Neither did Kisame. He watched Itachi out of the corner of his eye. The moment that Kisame and Itachi had realized who was with Sakura, Kisame had seen Itachi's face twist in fury for but a second before hiding behind his usual countenance. And whatever Itachi may be trying to make himself believe…Kisame knew that Itachi may not have cared deeply for the kunoichi, but he had some type of feeling for her. It was hard _not_ to feel protective of the young cherry blossom.

"So you say." Tomokazu sneered. "Well I'll have you know, she's dying as we speak. If you wish to make a lover's final farewell, you had best make it quick."

"Dammit Tomokazu…" Kisame growled. "Leader said he wanted her alive."

Tomokazu let out an amused laugh. "That's not my problem."

"It will be when he finds out you're the one who killed her."

"Maa, maa…" Zetsu began, eyes darting between the feuding Akatsuki members.

"If you believed that you could get to me by using Sakura Haruno you are mistaken." Itachi began, still running his fingers over the kunai. "After all, she is bait for the Kyuubi. Your scheming merely shows how weak and afraid you really are. If you wished to fight me directly and knew you would win, you wouldn't have used someone as leverage."

Tomokazu's silver eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"Perhaps, Tomokazu-san, if you were not such a spoiled, weakling little shit you would have realized this." And then Itachi casually threw the kunai. There was a moment of silence, before a thin red line appeared on Tomokazu's right cheek. A few droplets of blood slid down his face.

Kisame and Zetsu were staring in surprise. For one thing, Itachi's voice had gained a tone of anger that wasn't like him and he had cursed, something the eloquent and velvet tongued Itachi never did. And another…he'd just drawn Tomokazu's blood. He never would have done that unless he was losing his temper. Something neither of them had seen before.

The silence stretched before Tomokazu finally let out a low growl. He made to step forward but stopped as all of them heard a soft voice behind them.

Sakura let out a small gasp as she finished pulling the tree branch from her stomach with red stained hands.

"…ninpo…sozo…saise..." Sakura whispered, finishing the hand seals she had been making. The diamond seal in the middle of her forehead glowed as her wound began to heal rapidly.

The Akatsuki watched silently. When Sakura's wound healed completely, she fell unconscious, slumping against the tree in a dead faint.

Itachi bent down, picking up Sakura in his arms as if she weighed nothing. He turned his cold gaze on Tomokazu, not letting his astonishment at Sakura's jutsu show.

Tomokazu merely gave a feral grin. "I just had to make sure she actually _knew_ the Genesis of Rebirth jutsu, ne?"

"What for?" Kisame ground out.

Tomokazu merely let out another amused laugh as he disappeared. Zetsu stared at Kisame and Itachi, before sighing softly and heading after his partner.

Kisame stared down at Sakura, "The kunoichi really did it, didn't she?"

"Hn."

Kisame said nothing as they headed through the forest in the direction of stone. He didn't need to say anything, however, as he watched Itachi's hands unconsciously tighten around Sakura's limp form.

There was one thing that Kisame did know, however, after seeing Itachi's scarlet Sharingan that night.

He pitied anyone that hurt Sakura Haruno.

* * *

"Akamaru's got a scent!" Kiba whooped as they headed through the trees. He then sniffed the air and faltered slightly, landing on the tree branch in front of him, almost stumbling as he did so.

"Nani, Kiba-san. What's stopped you?" Temari asked as she landed beside him. Neji, Tenten, and Shino did the same.

Kiba sniffed the air once more and Akamaru whined slightly.

"What is it, Kiba?" Neji snapped.

"Blood. Lots of it." Kiba whispered. "…and Akamaru has identified it as Sakura-san's."

Neji didn't answer as he shot forward ahead of them, disappearing through the trees.

Temari let out a curse as she followed. She let the frigid air around her clear her head as the others ran alongside her. What the hell did Neji think he was doing? He was running into a dangerous situation with no thought for anyone else's safety, not even his own!

_All he cares about is getting to Sakura-chan._ Temari gave a small huff as she continued after him. _Well he's not the only one that's worried._

Kiba raced on all fours beside Akamaru, sniffing the air worriedly. _Sakura-san…hold in there…_ He growled furiously, making Akamaru whine from beside him.

_"Sakura-san, hurry!" Kiba called out worriedly, holding a limp and bleeding Akamaru. "He can't hold out much longer, please!"_

"_Ne, Kiba-san?" Sakura stuck her head out of her window, eyes drowsy. "What's going on?"_

"_Akamaru's been injured!" Kiba jumped to her window and Sakura let out a small yelp as she moved aside. He rushed through the open window into her room, holding onto the bleeding Akamaru in pure frustration and helplessness._

"_Kiba-san, I'm not a vet…" Sakura began worriedly, eyes still somewhat sleepy as she held out her arms. _

"_There's no time! We were on a mission and he was injured badly. I didn't know where else to go." Kiba answered truthfully, almost throwing Akamaru into her arms. _

_Sakura felt the warm liquid splatter across her bare arms as she held Akamaru. She looked down at her new white sheets with a small sigh before placing him atop them. She began looking him over. "Kiba-san, why did you come here of all places? What made this your choice?"_

…

…

…

"_I knew you could save him."_

_Sakura looked up, but did not answer as she pushed some of her healing chakra into the whimpering Akamaru. "Good boy, Akamaru, just sit still for a little while longer." Sakura crooned as she petted his head with one hand, continuing to assess his injuries with the other. _

_Akamaru's tail wagged feebly against the sheet before lying limp. Kiba hovered over Sakura's shoulder as she continued healing Akamaru. _

"_It looks as if someone attacked his insides with a meat grinder!" Sakura exclaimed as her hands glowed bright blue. The healing chakra enveloped Akamaru and he stilled, though his chest still rose and fell._

_Kiba tried to wipe the tears from his eyes as he nodded, but more just took their place. "Hai…it was a simple mission, not even ANBU level, but I got sloppy and Akamaru took the fall for me…"_

_Sakura nodded. "I see…don't worry Kiba-san. It isn't your fault."_

"_He's going to be alright, isn't he!?" Kiba asked frantically, not liking the weary tone in Sakura's voice._

_Sakura gave a weak smile as she looked up at him, touched at Kiba's worry over Akamaru. "Hai, Kiba-san."_

"_I could kiss you right now, Sakura-san." Kiba joked in relief._

"_Not until I'm done. I still have to sooth the pain now and bandage him." Sakura began doing just that. _

_When she finished, Akamaru was sound asleep and breathing evenly. Sakura grabbed a small container from her bag and turned to Kiba, "Kiba-san, I want you to rub this poultice into Akamaru's wound every time you change his bandages—"_

_Kiba broke the kiss with a stunned Sakura, giving a mischievous smile, "Thanks Sakura-san."_

_Sakura blinked once, then grinned as she began laughing. "It was nothing, Kiba-san. Still…maybe I should give Akamaru a checkup. I like you're kind of thank you." She teased as Kiba turned bright red. She gave him a hug. _

"_Ne, Kiba-san, I was joking. Calm down. I'm, glad Akamaru is healed, though. It was good of you to come. I'm glad you trust me." Sakura spoke truthfully._

_Kiba nodded with a grin. "Hai Sakura-san. I trust you heaps!"_

_Akamaru let out a small whine as he opened on eye, before shifting back on Sakura's sheets._

_Sakura began laughing, as did Kiba. After a few minutes, Sakura spoke through her giggles. _

_"Akamaru's not going to like it when I have to throw away that sheet."_

* * *

Sakura didn't remember much. She awoke in a foggy daze, her eyes unwilling to open. She could feel cold air moving all around her. Her hands were freezing. She was moving, but her body itself wasn't doing to running. She forced her eyes open a bit and saw immediately what was going on.

Itachi was carrying her in his arms, racing through the snow. Kisame was beside him.

Sakura's brows furrowed. _Didn't I escape from them? They went after Kayume…_

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a small croak. Her throat was bone dry. She swallowed a few times and tried again, seeing that Itachi's crimson Sharingan were focused on her in amusement.

"How…how did you find me?"

Kisame sidled alongside them with a grin. "Hello there kunoichi. Itachi guessed you'd use a clone. We made our own and hid our real chakras and followed yours."

_They used my trick against me,_ Sakura mused silently. _I should have realized that Itachi would still have a small tracking jutsu on me. Dammit._

Suddenly memories flooded through her mind, crowding her with images of Tomokazu, Zetsu, and a snowy clearing.

"What happened…?"

"Nani?" Kisame asked as they continued to whip through the trees.

Sakura could sense a change in the weather. The snow was coming down thicker and harder, and a chilling wind was blowing.

"Tomokazu-san and Zetsu-san?"

"Hn." Itachi merely sped up his pace. Sakura remained silent as she watched his face from where she lay in his arms. She was getting cold again. She could also feel fatigue rush through her. Her Genesis of Rebirth technique's side effects were beginning to take over. Soon she'd fall unconscious.

In her fatigued state, Sakura curled up closer to Itachi's body warmth with a small, contented smile on her face.

Itachi stiffened slightly as he felt Sakura press against him. He stared down at her and noticed she was almost asleep. She stared up at him through sleepy eyes.

"Arigato, Itachi."

Then she fell unconscious. Itachi stared down at her in confusion. She hadn't even put the honorific 'san' at the end of his name.

Kisame watched all of this curiously, but he said nothing as they continued. "The storm is closing in. We'd better be close to that town."

"Hn." Was all Itachi said as he held Sakura closer, in hopes of keeping her warm and away from the cold chill of the night air.

* * *

Orochimaru, legendary Sannin and leader of the Sound ninja, sat down in his chair, amber eyes glittering in the dark gloom.

Next to him stood Kabuto, his face worried as he looked down at his leader. "Orochimaru-sama, do you have an answer."

Orochimaru glared at Kabuto. "Kabuto. Do not speak to me in that way."

Kabuto immediately closed his mouth.

Orochimaru stared down at the scroll in his lap, eyes lingering on the words. Ever since Sasuke Uchiha had escaped, Orochimaru had been worried his dream to destroy Konoha would never come true.

But perhaps…perhaps he could succeed in his conquests as planned. He let out a low, evil laugh as he stared at the figure kneeling in front of him. His shoulders shook as he continued to laugh in amusement.

"Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked hesitantly.

"Silence, Kabuto." Orochimaru ordered. "It seems I have found someone more competent than yourself. If you wish to continue breathing, you will remain quiet."

Kabuto frowned slightly, lips thinning in agitation, but he did nothing to show he was affected by Orochimaru's words. He merely nodded curtly.

"So…my arms shall be healed as planned…" Orochimaru continued to chuckle. "You bring my interesting news."

The shadowed figure kneeling on the damp stone merely nodded silently.

"Tell your Leader that I will indeed give him his scroll…" Orochimaru began, letting an evil sneer of triumph grace his snakelike features. He licked his lips.

"…as long as Haruno Sakura is delivered to me."

* * *

Deidara gave a small sigh as he paced around the hotel room. He tried not to let his agitation and worry show as he continued to look out the window, down at the front of the hotel.

"Watching the door will not make Haruno-san come any sooner." Sasori spoke from where he sat in the room on his own bed. He was witling something out of wood, his sole concentration on the small block. "Besides, it is going to storm soon. They'll never make it in time."

Deidara snorted. "Of course they will, yeah." He shrugged as he leaned against the windowsill. "This is the appointed meeting spot before we go to my home in Stone, yeah."

"They're already two days late."

"Maybe we just traveled further than we thought. What if they're waiting for us at a different hotel, yeah?"

Sasori let out a patient sigh, as if he were explaining something to a child. "Deidara-san, this is the same hotel we have always used as a waypoint."

"Why do you think they were attacked, yeah?"

"Perhaps Haruno-san tried to escape."

Deidara frowned. He'd been thinking the exact same thing, but he had yet to voice his fears. "Why would she do that? It's not like she could escape anyway. She's too smart to try and escape, yeah."

"Ah." Sasori nodded, though his tone hinted that he didn't agree. That merely made Deidara frown even more.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Deidara rushed towards it and threw it open, peering outside in anticipation.

"Deidara-san, if I had been an ANBU you'd be dead before you could say 'yeah'." Kisame grinned as he stepped inside. "Pining for me?"

Deidara snorted, "I don't date fish heads, yeah." He grinned as Kisame gave a playful swipe at his head that he dodged easily.

Suddenly Itachi entered, holing something bundled in his arms.

"Sakura-san!" Deidara gasped as he rushed forward. "What happened, yeah?"

"Che." Kisame sat down on the chair in the middle of the room. "That teme Tomokazu actually attacked her."

"Nani?" Sasori asked calmly as he saw Deidara stare in openmouthed surprise. "Why would Tomokazu-san attack Haruno-san?"

"He said he wanted to see if she knew the Genesis of Rebirth technique." Kisame grunted, "Load of bull shit."

"But that would mean she'd have to have a fatal wound…" Deidara gasped, "Is she alright, yeah?"

"Hn." Itachi merely snorted as he placed Sakura's limp form on the bed that had once been Deidara's. "She'll live."

"Where were you, yeah?" Deidara questioned, "Couldn't you have stopped Tomokazu-san from attacking Haruno-san, yeah?"

It was the first time either Sasori or Deidara had ever seen Kisame blushed.

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "The kunoichi got me drunk…"

Deidara couldn't help it, he began laughing hysterically. "She got you drunk, yeah?"

Sasori shook his head with another small sigh, as if he couldn't understand how he could end up in a room full of children. "So I suppose that she escaped and Tomokazu found her?"

"Hai." Kisame nodded as he leaned back in the chair. "She had to use the Genesis of Rebirth technique, and she did it."

"Really?" Sasori's eyes lighted with interest. "I thought only the Gondaime Hokage Tsunade knew it."

Kisame shrugged, "I guess she taught it to the cherry blossom."

Deidara made to go sit on the foot of his bed, but Itachi beat him to it. He stripped off Sakura's Akatsuki robe and handed it to Deidara. "Take it. It's of no use to her anymore." His tone was slightly biting, and Deidara met Itachi's gaze. Both of their eyes narrowed.

"Because it's mine and she can't have anyone's but yours, yeah?"

Itachi snorted as if he couldn't believe Deidara's immaturity. "Because it's covered in blood and torn." _Fool._ The one word hung over them, unspoken but understood. Deidara bristled.

Sasori noticed that Kisame was asleep, so he would be he only one to intervene. "Itachi-san, would it not be appropriate to send someone to Leader with a message telling him of Tomokazu's attempt on Haruno-san's life?"

"Why?" Deidara's eyes narrowed. "Leader spoils Tomokazu-san." _Almost as much as he does Itachi._ Deidara couldn't help the small frown that graced his lips before hiding behind a small smile, "I'll send a bird, though I don't think it will do any good, yeah."

"Hai." Sasori nodded. "I'll stay up tonight, as will Deidara-san. You may sleep now, Itachi-san. If Haruno-san used the Genesis of Rebirth jutsu, she will most likely be unconscious for a day or more. We must wait out the storm here."

"What if those ANBU are still tailing us?" Kisame opened one eye and looked over at them.

Deidara shrugged, "They couldn't have known where we were headed. Even if they did, they can't get anywhere in this storm, yeah."

Itachi took off his own Akatsuki robe and laid down on the other side of Deidara's bed, next to Sakura's sleeping form. Deidara wondered if he'd done if just to annoy him.

If so, it was working.

**(A/N: All right! Well, Itachi has showed us a little emotion and the plot is thickening…I hope everyone is enjoying this. More Orochimaru in the next few chapters, since he's becoming a more important character here. I don't like Tomokazu that much, do you? I don't think Itachi does either… And for all of you Akatsuki fans, don't worry. I'm hoping to put all of the Akatsuki members in here one way or another, just for you! It wouldn't be a good Akatsuki fanfiction without _all_ the members…**

**Oh, and I don't know how long it will be till the next chapter. I've been sick for the past four days and I have a LOT of make up work to complete. A lot. Hopefully I can get the next chapter in over the weekend, but I can't make any promises. Reviews are welcome, as always!)**


	9. Chapter 8: If Sunshine Had a Flavor

Chapter 8 

**Lonely Nights **

Neji bundled down in his cloak, trying to shield himself from the snow. It swirled around the mouth of the cave with ominous ferocity. Neji closed his eyes with a small sigh, clenching his chattering teeth together.

_Damn storm_…

It had been going on for hours, and it showed no signs of letting up. Soon they would be penned in completely. It had almost been twenty-four hours…and this time Neji didn't have Sakura to share body warmth with.

Sakura may not have even been alive.

_"Are we almost there?" Temari called over the blurring winds that blew snow back into their faces. All of them were shaking and the sound of their teeth chattering in unison echoed. _

"_The smell is fading because of the snow!" Kiba shouted. "Akamaru has a better lead on it than I do!"_

_Neji used his Byakugan, trying to see ahead. It didn't help. All he saw was a world of white. He blindly followed behind Kiba and Akamaru, just like the others. _

"…_there…" Kiba's voice was soft, and yet all of them heard it._

_Neji didn't need his Byakugan to see the large, red stain at the base of the tree. _

"_Oh my god…" Tenten whispered, "That's Sakura's…?"_

_Akamaru sniffed the red and whined, tail tucked between his legs and ears limp. He sat down in the snow next to it, curling up as if he were trying to find Sakura and was confused on why she wasn't there and her blood was._

_Neji just continued to stare at the large red pool. Small errant snowflakes drifted into the pool and landed on its thick, glossy surface. _

_Temari watched as the snowflakes slowly melted, brows knotted in confusion. She knelt down in the snow and dipped her fingertips into the blood, rubbing it between two fingers. She turned to Neji. "It's still warm. We're close."_

"_But she could be dead." Shino answered._

_Kiba shook his head furiously. "They wouldn't take her body! They wouldn't take a corpse with them! She's ALIVE!" The others watched him in mutual sadness and anger, each of them wanting to believe what he was saying._

"_He's right." Tenten nodded. "No one would lug around a corpse, especially not in this." She motioned to the raging snowstorm around them. "Besides, how can she heal Itachi's eyes if she's dead?"_

"_Tenten's right!" Kiba growled. "Sakura is definitely alive."_

"_Perhaps they made her heal Itachi's eyes and then killed her."_

_Everyone turned to look at Shino. Kiba's hands curled into fists, mostly because he didn't want to admit to the truth behind Shino's words. _

"…_but why isn't the body here?" Tenten asked, grabbing onto thin threads of hope._

"_Maybe it was dropped a ways off." Temari answered coldly, not allowing herself to show how she felt. She needed to remain calm…she needed to remain _calm_. She was the leader of this mission; she had to carry it out perfectly. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way._

"_She's not dead."_

_Temari gave a frustrated sigh at Neji's retort. "Dammit Hyuga, I want Sakura alive as much as you do, but there's nothing we can do! We can't change what happened and we can't ignore the facts!"_

"…_Sakura told me that Tsunade taught her the Genesis of Rebirth technique." Neji began, his eyes never leaving the crimson pool of blood, which was slowly being taken over by snow. A small, wry smile graced his lips as his eyes lit in triumph. "Sakura can't die." _

"Damn, but I'm freezing." Kiba laughed slightly, pulling his jacket and cloak tighter around his body. Akamaru gave a whine as he tried to push inside of Kiba's jacket. Kiba let out a small yell as all two hundred pounds of dog managed to jam itself inside of his cloak. Kiba tried to spit the hair out of his mouth as he scratched Akamaru behind the ears. "You smell like wet dog."

Temari rolled her eyes from where she sat huddled next to Tenten. She was getting sick and tired of having to stop! The last thing she needed was for them to get completely snowed in.

There was a very good chance of that happening.

Shino blew into his sleeves in an attempt to keep his kikai warm. They shifted inside of him restlessly. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and continued to think warm thoughts: like a nice cup of steaming tea, or a bowl of hot ramen. _Dear god, the cold is getting to me. I'm starting to think like Naruto._

Tenten blew into her palms, rubbing them together. Her breath left her mouth in puffs of steam, and every time she breathed in her throat and lungs ached. She tried to think of something warm, but the only thing that came to her mind was a distant memory of herself and Sakura as Chûnin.

_"Oi." Sakura rolled backwards in the snow, landing on her butt. She grinned as she looked up at Tenten, shaking the snow out of her pink hair. "That's smarts. That is the last time I go against you in a snowball fight."_

_Tenten laughed as she dropped the snowball she'd been making. The packed clump of snow shattered when it hit the ground, sending up small clouds of powder. She saw down next to Sakura on the shrine steps. _

"_I still can't believe it's still snowing in February…" There was a small period of silence as both of them surveyed the scenery. "Do you think Kurenai-sensei, Gai-sensei, Neji, and Hinata are alright?" Tenten asked softly. "They were supposed to be back three days ago."_

_Sakura snorted, "Were you listening in at Tsunade-sensei's door again, Tenten?"_

_Tenten blushed slightly with a small frown, "Well, unlike you, I don't GET to stay inside her office and hear all of the important information."_

_Sakura shrugged, "Knowing all that information isn't as great as it sounds. My head aches every night when I leave. She has me sorting through papers now." Sakura let out a large sigh as she propped herself up on her elbows. _

"…_any word of Naruto and Jiraiya-sama?"_

_Sakura's shoulders sagged. "Iie."_

_Tenten bit her lip, "I'm sorry to ask, Sakura-chan, but it can't be good for you to worry and think about them anymore."_

"_I know."_

_Tenten turned to look at Sakura, hearing the small catch in her voice. She didn't want to sound mean, but she wanted the real Sakura back. She wanted the lively Sakura that smiled and joked and teased. She wanted her friend._

"_I hear that Shikamaru is dating Temari of the Sand, is that true?"_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Why do you think I'd know?"_

"_It has to be top secret information. If anyone knew that Shikamaru was actually putting forth an effort to do something, the world would end." Tenten teased. _

_Sakura laughed softly, nodding. "Hai, hai…I think it's nice that Shikamaru and Temari are together. They deserve each other."_

"_It's perfect, don't you think? After all, it's almost Valentine's day."_

"_Oh. Hai." Sakura whispered. "I hadn't noticed."_

"_Why not? You'll probably get a hundred or so Valentine's, especially from Lee, not to mention those three new Chunin who worship the ground you walk on—what were their names: Aarriko, Sato, and Shinta?" Tenten grinned. _

_Sakura tried to smile feebly, but her eyes began to water. Tenten was about to apologize when someone burst through the trees and landed in front of them. It was Lee. _

"_Tenten!" Lee greeted, "Sakura-san!"_

"_Hey Lee." Tenten waved, "What's wrong?"_

"_We have to go meet with Ino and Choji! We're heading out on a mission."_

"_Oh." Tenten nodded, "Alright." She stood and gave a feeble smile to Sakura. "Bye, Sakura-chan."_

"_See you later, Tenten." Sakura stood as well. "I guess I'll head back to Tsunade-sensei. She'll probably have something for me to do."_

_Tenten and Lee began walking back to Konoha and Tenten turned back to look at Sakura. She had sat back down on the shrine steps and her shoulders were shaking. Tenten knew she was crying. Her eyes saddened as she realized that Sakura was thinking of Sasuke, and the love she still held for him. _

_There would be no love for Sakura that Valentine's Day. _

* * *

"…"

"…"

"…"

Sakura's brows furrowed as she peered up out of her half-open eyes. She blinked a few times, still not opening her eyes fully. Her vision was blurry and disjointed, but what she managed to make out was a low ceiling. There was no light, so Sakura guessed it was still dark outside. Or maybe there was a light…but a very faint one. Like the small amount that escaped from behind closed window blinds.

…but where on earth _was_ she?

Sakura sat up slowly, clutching her head with a groan. Suddenly someone was beside her, pressing a warm mug into her hands. Sakura looked down at the steaming tea in confusion, before looking up at the person standing next to her.

"Deidara-san!" She smiled happily as she shifted on the bed. She looked down at herself in confusion. She was not wearing the clothing Itachi had gotten her. In fact…she was wearing a large mesh shirt and slacks—both of which were too big for her.

"Sakura-san." Deidara nodded back, a small smile on his face. He continued to watch her intently and Sakura found it suddenly uncomfortable. She looked away as the silence stretched. She took a small sip of the tea, almost groaning in rapture at the feeling of the warm liquid coursing down her throat, in stark contrast to the chilly nip of the air that had surrounded her the moment she had uncurled herself from her blanket.

She merely used the period of silence to look around the room. It was empty of inhabitants save for Deidara and herself. It looked as though other people had been in the room, however. Most likely Kisame, Itachi, and Sasori, by Sakura's guess.

Sakura wondered how long she'd been out. She knew that she had fallen unconscious after using the Genesis of Rebirth technique, so that probably meant she'd been asleep for a few days.

"Deidara-san…what on earth am I wearing?"

"Oh." Deidara coughed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the wall behind her. "Well, you see, your clothing was dirty and blood soaked, yeah. We had to get it off of you, yeah."

"Oh…how long have I been out?"

"Two days." Sasori answered from the doorway. He nodded at Sakura as he walked inside. "Good morning, Haruno-san. I am glad to see you in good health."

Sakura nodded, "Hai…thank you Sasori-san."

"Are you hungry?" Deidara asked expectantly. "After using the Genesis of Rebirth technique you must be famished, yeah."

"Oh." Sakura nodded absently. "Hai. Where is Itachi?"

"Downstairs. With Kisame." Sasori answered. Sakura fleetingly noticed a look of disappointment grace Deidara's features, but she pushed it aside in confusion, not knowing how to take it.

"Isn't this a hotel?"

"We're the only visitors here. We are allowed in the common room and the kitchens."

"Oh." Sakura smiled. _I guess the innkeeper doesn't know he's housing Akatsuki—on the other hand, it's not like he'd deny them from coming inside even if he did know. Not if he planned on living for a little while longer._ "Well then, I would _definitely_ like some food. I can't remember the last time I've eaten a full meal!" She stood, tying the small cord on the pants tight as she noticed that they fell down past her feet. "This is definitely not Itachi's…am I wearing _Kisame's_ clothes?"

"He was the only one with extras, yeah." Deidara grinned wickedly. "They're a little big."

"Just a _little_." Sakura answered back with another grin as she looked at the shirt that she was nearly drowning in. "But I can't stay in this."

"Itachi got this for you." Sasori handed her a package. "He said to wear it."

Sakura frowned, about to object when Deidara beat her to it.

"She still has the kimono I got her. Why can't she wear that, yeah?"

Sasori sighed. "Ask Itachi."

Sakura saw Deidara's hands clench as he frowned. She smiled at him, touching his hand softly with her own. "Don't worry about it, Deidara-san! I'll wear your kimono tomorrow, ne?" _Please don't go starting a fight with Itachi…_ she finished silently, hoping she relayed the message to him through her eyes.

Deidara smiled with a small nod. "Alright, Sakura-san." He flashed her a brighter grin as he went to the door. "I'll see you outside, yeah." Then he and Sasori left.

Sakura unwrapped the package carefully, slowly pulling it out of the rice paper. What she saw made her smile, even if only slightly.

Apparently Itachi Uchiha could be kind when he wanted to be.

Or he had an amazing sense of humor.

* * *

"Sand…" Shikamaru sighed slightly as they landed inside of the country's border. He almost laughed in relief. For once they could sleep without fear of getting attacked by enemy shinobi.

The sand ANBU with them seemed to be a lot happier as well. A few of them talked with one another softly, laughing and joking.

"Let's hurry up, Shikamaru." Naruto called out in annoyance. "The faster we go see Gaara the faster we can go find Sakura-chan!"

"Hai, hai…" Shikamaru answered lazily, "Calm down, Naruto."

Naruto let out an agitated sigh but said nothing else as he looked around at the bleak landscape. "Look at all the Sand!"

"Yeah…" Ino answered, "That's probably why it's called The Village Hidden in _Sand_."

Choji snickered as Lee and Kakashi grinned at Naruto's frown.

Hinata came to his defense. "H-hai, Naruto-kun! There sure is a l-lot of s-sand."

Ino rolled her eyes in exasperation, muttering something to Choji about how sad it was that Hinata had to pretend Naruto was right about something so it wouldn't look like she was dating a _complete_ idiot.

"Hey Ino." Shikamaru couldn't help but grin slightly as he looked back at them, "At least Hinata _has_ someone to defend." It was a long going battle between himself and Ino, over the fact that even after all her boasting about being the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha, she still didn't have a boyfriend.

Ino blushed softly before turning to look at the sky. She then turned back to Shikamaru. "Well at least—" She was cut off as a rain of kunai flew at them.

Shikamaru jumped to the side, his feet sliding in the sand and sinking in a few inches as he hurriedly tried to assess the situation. Standing in front of their group was the Sand ANBU sent with them. One of them was twiddling a kunai between his fingers.

_I guess Temari was serious when she said that these ANBU weren't all that trustworthy._ Shikamaru thought to himself as he tried to remain calm, putting a hand behind his back slowly so as not to draw attention.

_Damn._

He turned to see that Hinata was helping up Naruto, who seemed to have been caught completely off guard. _Typical Naruto…what a drag._

Sasuke and Kakashi were both crouched down in fighting positions.

Choji and Ino had jumped backwards, and each were grabbing into their packs for their kunai.

Lee was dusting off his pants with a frown.

Shikamaru looked up at the sky and then at the ground. The sun was high and they were in the sand ANBU's territory. That meant the sun impaired visibility…and the sand ANBU had the advantage of being familiar with their surroundings.

Shikamaru hated it when the odds were against him. Luckily…the high sun also meant something else. Of course, he wasn't about to saw anything as he began talking. "What's going on?"

The sand-nin didn't answer as they began pulling out weapons, including wickedly curved, hooked blades that Shikamaru guessed were standard issue for Sand ANBU.

"Attacking a Konoha shinobi group is a direct violation of the treaty between our two villages." Kakashi supplied coolly, apparently seeing Shikamaru's plan.

"We're doing what is best for our village." One ANBU answered through his mask. "If we must kill you to protect it, than so be it." Then he launched another barrage of kunai.

Shikamaru merely ducked as the kunai whizzed past him. The others jumped out of the way, scattering to draw the sand ANBU out of their group to fight one on one.

The Sand ANBU didn't take the lead. They merely watched stoically from behind their masks. It was as if they were toying with them and didn't even sense them as a threat.

_They think they have the advantage as well. They haven't seen us fight so they underestimate us…_Shikamaru mused. _Lucky for us._

"Well?" Naruto growled, "Are you going to fight or not? When your Kazekage hears about this he'll—"

"_We_ never attacked you." One of the sand ANBU answered amusedly. "You were killed in the retrieval mission to get back the girl from Konoha. The Akatsuki caught us and your lives were sadly lost in the battle."

"Che." Ino scoffed. "Your Kazekage isn't an idiot, you know. Anyone can see through that lie. Wouldn't it be kind of strange if all of you survived and all of the Konoha ANBU didn't?"

"It was all thanks to the valiant and courageous ANBU of Konoha, everyone knows they risk their lives for their allies and get themselves killed over petty things."

"Sorry for having a conscience…" Ino muttered to herself.

Kakashi then spoke, "Besides, what about Temari-dono?"

"A minor setback. We were going to incapacitate her in hopes of keeping her alive. We wouldn't want to kill one of our own, however mislead they are in believing you are the Sand Village's allies."

"But we _are_ your allies!" Lee answered truthfully. He would have said more, but he wasn't allowed to as the ANBU continued to stare, a few of them beginning hand signs.

Shikamaru watched them, his face cool as the others scattered. He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to the side. "It's high noon, isn't it?" He gave a small smirk as they all stopped their hand signs to look at him in confusion. "Like in those old Western movies. Are we going to have a shoot out?" He gave a meaningful glance to each of their shadows, which he had in his grasp. All of them glared from behind their ANBU masks.

Naruto grinned as his eyes narrowed. "Hey Sand idiots." They turned to look at him stoically. "Let's play cowboy." He then lifted his hand, a large Rasengan placed in his palm. He shot the force of the chakra up into his finger into a small, neat ball as he formed his hand into the shape of a gun.

"Bang."

Then he let the Rasengan go.

* * *

When Sakura descended the stairs of the hotel, all four of the Akatsuki members present looked up.

Kisame grinned, "How do you like the new clothes, kunoichi?"

Sakura couldn't help but grin back. "It fits better than your shirt." She motioned to the pants and yukata she was wearing. It was a black yukata and slacks, but the sash that went around her thin waist had crimson clouds painted on it. She avoided eye contact with Itachi as she sat down in the empty space next to Deidara. She thought if she did, she might blush. After all, he must have gotten it specially made…just for her…

_And Itachi said he couldn't be a gentleman. _Sakura inwardly mused; thinking back to the Haruno Clan symbol on the back of her yukata that also must have been specifically made. _But I bet he didn't think of it alone…I wonder…_ She looked to Kisame, seeing him grin and wink at her.

_Ah._ Sakura mused. _Kisame must have decided his drinking partner needed a new outfit. _She giggled inwardly. _I knew that Itachi never would have done this alone, especially out of the kindness of his heart. _

She almost burst into laughter, but she kept herself cool and emotionless on the outside. _First he'd have to get one. _

_You look like a real member of the Akatsuki now, Sakura._ Deidara spoke to himself, smiling at her. He had to admit that she looked good in it. Part of him wanted to believe she really was a member of the Akatsuki. Then she'd be able to stay with them. Sh might even have been partnered with Deidara himself. However…another part of him was glad she wasn't. He didn't think Sakura could ever be the type to kill senselessly and without remorse. If she did…she wouldn't be the same person. She wouldn't be the Sakura that he…loved…

"Thank you for the outfit, Itachi-san." Sakura nodded, still avoiding eye contact, not just from him, but also from Deidara, who was watching her with a soulful stare as if he were looking through her. She caught Kisame's eye and grinned, with a wink of her own, telling him thank you as well. She supposed it wouldn't have been good for Itachi's ego to suggest that she knew Kisame had probably suggested it.

"So, what are we having to eat?" Sakura bent forward, elbows resting on her knees, leaning her chin on her hands. "I'm hungry."

"Let's see…" Deidara looked up at the ceiling, apparently shaken from his soul searching. "We have rice…rice…_more_ rice…oh—and rice, yeah."

"I guess the hotel manager hadn't planned on being snowed in for this long?" Sakura asked.

"Na. We ate all the rest of the food, kunoichi." Kisame grinned. "Your loss. After all, we haven't had anything else to do for two days while you slept."

"Is the storm letting up?"

Sasori shook his head. "Iie. It will probably continue for a few more days before getting to the point in which we may travel."

"Ah." Sakura nodded. "Well." She stood with a brilliant smile. "I guess I'll go get us some rice then! I'll bring it out for the rest of you, if you haven't eaten." Then she walked into the outer room where the hotel manager was at his desk.

The four Akatsuki watched her go, each thinking different thoughts.

Sasori was planning on having a few sophisticated conversations with the kunoichi over the next few days.

Kisame was planning on getting her drunk, and getting himself drunk as well—as long as they were trap inside with other Akatsuki members, of course.

However, the other two Akatsuki's thoughts faintly mirrored each another, one hidden beneath barriers of the mind and locks on emotion, the other blatantly visible to anyone watching.

Both of them were thinking of how wonderful it would be, to spend a few moments alone with Sakura Haruno.

One of them denied his thoughts.

The other embraced them.

Both decided to try.

* * *

Sakura sat down in the window seat, looking out at the snow. Blurry splotches of light indicated windows in the distance. She began tracing small little pictures in the frosted window, swirls and curly-q's. She gave a small sigh.

_I'm all alone here…and I'm starting to like them._ She was almost pleading with her inner self to argue, to give her valid reasons why she couldn't and _wouldn't_ care for these people.

For once, inner Sakura remained silent.

_Great time to run out on me. _Sakura grumbled to herself as she pressed her forehead against the cool window, closing her eyes.

_"Sakura-chan?" Shizune peered into the Hokage's office. Tsunade was asleep at the desk and Sakura was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, papers surrounding her. An ink brush was in one hand, a file in the other. _

_She was peering at it with strange intensity. She looked up when Shizune entered. "I'm just going over a few of Tsunade-sensei's papers. She's completely wiped out from work at the hospital."_

_Shizune swallowed, "Sakura, we need to wake Tsunade-sensei! We need her healing ability right away. It's an emergency."_

_Sakura stood abruptly, "She won't wake up, I have her something to keep her asleep for a while, since she hasn't been getting to bed well…" Sakura began walking to the door, "What is it?"_

_Shizune followed, "Sakura-chan, surely you don't think you can…?"  
_

"_I'll do it." Sakura nodded. "What happened? What's the emergency."_

"_Sakura-chan…" Shizune trailed off, then whispered as they headed outside of the Hokage building. "Sasuke and a few of Orochimaru's other subordinates attacked a group of ANBU. Ino's bleeding terribly. We don't know if she'll make it. We need Tsunade."_

_Sakura's eyes widened as she put a hand to her mouth, then began running at full speed towards the hospital. _

"_Sakura-chan!" Shizune called after her. _

_Sakura landed in front of the hospital, pushing through the doors and yelling out, "Where's Ino?"_

_The nurses and other medical shinobi all knew that Sakura was Tsunade's apprentice, and trusted her medical abilities more than anyone besides the Hokage herself. They all guessed she was there to perform the healing. _

"_This way." One of the nurses answered as she stood and began heading down the hallway. "We have five shinobi working on her, but we don't know what's going to happen."_

"_What about the other members of the team?" Sakura asked absently as she walked with her. _

"_Minor injuries. Apparently Ino healed anything life threatening and then was injured, because she didn't have any chakra left and the others were unconscious. When they came to, she was bleeding to death."_

"_Hai." Sakura nodded as they rounded the corner. Shikamaru, Choji, Anko, Shino, and Hinata were all standing outside the door. Anko, Shino, and Hinata had been on the mission with Ino. Shikamaru and Choji were her teammates of old. All looked horror stricken and completely helpless._

_A man was sitting down with his head in his hands. It was Ino's father. _

_They all turned to look as Sakura walked by them. She stopped in front of Ino's father. "Yamanaka-san?" Sakura whispere ._

_He looked up. _

"_She'll be fine." Sakura answered back firmly. "I'm going in right now. The next time I come out of that door, Ino will be coming out with me, completely stable."_

"_Sakura…" Shikamaru whispered from where he stood, not believing her. _

"_I promise, I won't leave that room until she's healed enough to be moved to a waiting room."_

_Ino's father watched her with doubt, before a trust entered his eyes as he nodded. "Arigato."_

_Sakura smiled faintly as she headed inside, the door closing with a click behind her. She almost cried out as she saw Ino's limp form, blood still leaking from the large wound in her stomach. Or rather, what was left of it._

"_Sakura-san!" Some of the medic's looked up, but most remain intent on their tasks, eyes closed as chakra rushed around them and into Ino's motionless body._

_Sakura knelt down, taking a blood pill from her pack and forcing it into Ino's mouth she forced her to swallow as she looked at the full damage. She sat down right next to Ino, closing her eyes. "Everyone, leave. I need completely concentration."_

"_She won't make it, Sakura-san. We've tried everything. The blood clotting pills aren't working."_

"_Go!" Sakura ordered, only half paying attention as healing chakra rushed through her arms and into Ino. She didn't know if they complied as she drifted into a trance._

Sasuke did this…Sasuke almost killed Ino…_Her mind babbled insessently as she continued forcing her chakra into Ino. Nothing was happening. _

It was Sasuke…all Sasuke…_Nothing. It was as if Ino's body was rejecting the healing process. _

Dammit! I'm not trying hard enough!_ Sakura screamed at herself. _Dammit Sasuke! I _hate_ you. _She used her anger and desperation as inspiration, thrusting her life energy twisted with her chakra into Ino. Suddenly she saw an improvement. It was working…she was being healed!_

I won't let Orochimaru win…, I'm going to heal her! And if Ino dies…I'll kill you myself, Sasuke._ Sakura was shocked her the vehemence in her voice, but she pushed it aside as tears blinded her eyes and splashed into the wound that was growing smaller and smaller with every passing second. _

_She felt a roaring in her ears as her body began to ache and grow limp. _Almost there._ She pressed more chakra into Ino, and heard her gasp in pain—fully aware of her surroundings. _

_She also heard someone open the door and cry out, "Sakura-chan!"_

_That, however, was the last thing she heard as she toppled backwards onto the cold, hard floor, feeling herself go cold. Only one thought was running through her mind. _Thank god I didn't have to go through with my promise…thank god Ino's alright…I don't have to hate Sasuke-kun…

_Then everything went black. _

"Sakura-san?" Deidara whispered as he came upon the pondering kunoichi. She looked up from the window, smiling softly.

Deidara sat down beside her. "What were you thinking about, yeah?"

"…my friends in Konoha."

"Oh." Deidara nodded stiltedly.

Sakura smiled rather sadly. "Hai. My best friend, Ino. I was thinking back to the time…to the time Sasuke almost killed her."

Deidara looked up. "When he was with Orochimaru, yeah?"

"Hai." Sakura nodded. "I saved her…and I almost died, or so they told me later." Sakura couldn't help but smile slightly. "I guess I used my own life energy to heal her, instead of just chakra. That's the only reason it worked. But I made Ino's father a promise. Apparently I came through with my end. Ino was healed enough to actually walk out of the room…I of course, had to be rushed to Tsunade on a stretcher."

Deidara watched her. "You risked your life for her?"

"Of course." Sakura answered truthfully, "She was my best friend—still is. We have our differences, but I'd die for her and she for me."

"You almost did die, yeah."

Sakura looked at him, wondering at the…relief…in his eyes. "…hai."

Suddenly Deidara leaned forward. Sakura watched him, feeling his breath on her lips as she did nothing to stop him…for some odd reason she didn't want to. She felt his lips touch hers and she merely pressed her own against them, before Deidara pulled back with a small smile, his eyes bright.

"I'm glad you didn't, yeah."

"Me too." Sakura whispered, wondering at the light feeling in her chest. She didn't know why, but she didn't mind that Deidara had kissed her. It was like with Neji, it was a wonderful feeling, even if she only thought of them both as friends.

Sakura blinked as she grinned at Deidara, who was staring into nowhere, like he didn't believe what he'd done was real. "Ne, Deidara-san?"

"Hai?"

"Let's go get some tea!"

Deidara smiled as Sakura dragged him into the kitchen.

If sunshine had a flavor, Deidara guessed it would have tasted like Sakura's lips. That taste…he would never forget the deliciousness and sweetness of her. Perhaps it would have been better for both of them if he had.

**(A/N: Short chapter this time, sorry! I've been busy and decided to cut this one short so you'd all have something to read. Nothing really interesting happening yet, but it should soon. After all, when stuck in a cold place, things are going to have to heat up! Especially after that kiss! Whew!**

**Thanks for all the reviews and I'd love even more. Review as much as you want! Oh, I went back and edited the first five chapters; so now they're easier to read, thank the lord. **

**The next chapter is going to be…interesting…)**


	10. Chapter 9: Complex in its Simplicity

**Chapter 9**

**Complex in it's Simplicity**

"So, Sakura-san, you have met Gaara of the Sand and his siblings?" Sasori asked curiously from where they sat on the chairs in the sitting room. Deidara was seated next to Sakura, Itachi next to Sasori.

Kisame was sitting on the floor, still coming up to Sakura's shoulders while sitting.

"Hai." Sakura nodded, not elaborating, as much as she wanted to. She would never give the Akatsuki any more information than they knew already. "He's now the Kazekage, I believe." She decided to give them information they undoubtedly knew, that way they would think she trusted them. _Deidara _does_ trust you._ Her inner self reprimanded. _You shouldn't lie to him._

_Why not? He's Akatsuki! I like him but that doesn't mean I can forget that fact._

_You don't know the reason he's in Akatsuki._

Sakura stared down at her hands. It wasn't that she was trying to forget about Deidara and distance herself from him, as many times as she had told herself she needed to do so. But…she couldn't get close to him. She'd had this argument with herself many times before over the past few days.

_Maybe killing people gives him a warm, fuzzy feeling inside—so what?_

_And so his killing and your own assassinations as an ANBU are different?_

…

"Hai, Gaara is the Kazekage now." Sasori nodded solemnly, immediately realizing what Sakura was doing. _Nice try, Haruno-san._

"Hey kunoichi, we're leaving tomorrow morning for Stone. The snow's letting up. You're the only one who isn't packed yet."

…_can anyone justify killing?_

Sakura frowned slightly, "That's because I am also the only one who isn't allowed in on the Akatsuki special meetings you four have." She stood with a small, wondering sigh as she noticed Kisame's grin.

"I'll come help you, Sakura-san." Deidara smiled as he stood as well.

Sasori watched the two leave, noticing Itachi's eyes trailing after them. If looks could kill, he guessed that Deidara would be lying on the ground bleeding to death, daggers piercing through his heart.

_Dammit Deidara…I knew you'd end up falling in love with her…_

Of course, it wasn't hard to like her. But Deidara was trailing on thin ice with Itachi. Ice that was sure to break. Deidara didn't even know he'd already fallen through.

_Sasori and Sakura were seated near the window. Sakura was reading through a scroll, biting her lip in concentration as she did so._

"_What are you doing, Haruno-san?"_

_Sakura looked up at him, "Oh." She motioned to the scroll. "I was just reading…and I'm trying to stay away from Kisame. He wants to have another drinking contest."_

"_Who won the last one?" Sasori asked, eyes shining in amusement and curiosity._

_Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Him, of course. I swear, if I hadn't sedated him the first night we drank, I _never_ would have gotten him to pass out." She had told Deidara and Sasori about her escape attempt, mostly because she supposed it wouldn't do her any good to keep it from them, since they'd find out sooner or later either way._

_Sasori nodded. "Kisame can hold his alcohol well."_

"_That's a nice way of putting it." Sakura laughed as she began rolling up the scroll. Before she finished, Sasori read a few lines. His curiosity deepened, as well as his small smile as he raised an eyebrow._

"_You're very interested in doujutsu…especially the Sharingan." _

_Sakura blushed softly as she finished rolling the scroll. "It reminds me of Sasuke-kun."_

"_Ah." Sasori didn't question her. However, he had a slight inclination that it wasn't the younger Uchiha whom she was reading up on. After all, the scrolls were about symptoms of doujutsu use. _

_And from what Sasori had heard, _Sasuke's_ eyes were not troubling him. _

* * *

"…I am sorry for the inconvenience." Gaara of the desert and Kazekage of the Sand Village, answered back in his almost completely monotone voice. "They will be dealt with, assuredly."

"I hope so!" Naruto raved. "They attacked us after all! We need some compensation! We need—"

Ino slapped a hand over his mouth. "You idiot! Shut up!"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata whispered in mortification, biting her lip as her cheeks turned bright red. "You c-can't say that t-t-to the Kaze-k-kage."

"…so troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed deeply before turning back to Gaara. "I'm sorry about him, Kazekage-dono. Naruto is an idiot."

"We knew that much." Kankuro grinned from where he leaned against the wall. "So, Shikamaru-san, where's Temari?"

"Temari-dono is in the special op ANBU squad we sent ahead to Stone." Kakashi answered, noticing the small glint in Gaara's eyes, directed at Shikamaru.

"Che." Kankuro muttered. "She never could stand still."

"I'm glad you made it here…moderately unharmed." Gaara answered back vaguely.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak again but Ino merely smacked him before he could say anything. He landed on the ground, rubbing his head in annoyance. He looked up at Ino and barely managed to contain the urge to stick out his tongue.

_He's still completely immature._ Kankuro mused from where he watched him. _The little twerp hasn't changed a bit. Give him an orange tracksuit and he'd be ready to take the Chunin exams, with that idiot catch line: "Believe it!" If he still says that I'll have to kill him…_

"Well." Gaara leaned back in his chair as he watched the shinobi of Konoha. He really wished he could have gone with them. Sakura had been an interesting person to talk to, and she had been as much of a friend as he could count on for someone who was always away on missions or at her village in Konoha.

_"Gaara-dono?" Sakura peered in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I didn't know whether or not to knock…" She smiled softly. "I thought Temari was in here."_

"_Iie."_

"_Well, she wanted to ask me about something…" Sakura continued as she slipped inside. "And I have some information from the Gondaime Hokage to give you." She pulled a few scrolls from her traveling pack. She continued to look around the room, brows furrowed in silent contemplation. _

"_Is something wrong?" Gaara asked, noticing her gaze trailing around the room. _

_Sakura looked up with another small smile. "No." She shook her head, but she continued to look around. "It's just…I didn't expect you to be…well…here."_

_Gaara nodded, knowing what she meant. There were plenty of other shinobi who could have done a better job, or at least that's what he believed. "The spot was originally given to Temari, but she turned the down and recommended me. She would have been a much better Kazekage…"_

"_Oh!" Sakura shook her head with a small frown. "That's not what I meant, Gaara-dono. I didn't mean that I thought you wouldn't be Kazekage, I just didn't picture you as the type to work in an office at a desk." She smiled again, this one a bit more prominent. "Besides, I think Temari was right in giving the spot to you."_

_Gaara's frowned in confusion. "But the people love Temari and they respect her."_

_Sakura gave a small sigh. "Well…" She leaned forward with the scrolls in her hand. "The children of this village love _you_."_

_Gaara's eyes widened. "Nani?"_

"_Hai." Sakura nodded. "It doesn't matter what the older ones say, not too much. It's true at the moment they're in power and they hold a grudge against you about your past, but they're not the ones who are going to be fighting alongside you in the future." Sakura shrugged her shoulders. _

"_Those children will be the lifeblood of the village. And they love and respect you. Temari says that you go visit the school and they all love to sit on your lap." She grinned mischievously. "I didn't think you liked children."_

_Gaara nodded slowly. "…children don't judge you by your past."_

"_No, I suppose not." Sakura answered back. _

_There was a long moment of silence before Gaara finally spoke again. _

"_What was it Temari wanted to speak to you about."_

_Sakura grinned back, the true grin from before Sasuke's departure. "Why, Temari-san asked me to come here and talk to you, Gaara-dono. She thought it would help." Then Sakura placed the scrolls on his desk and left with a small bow, still chuckling softly to herself as she called back, "I guess it did. _

* * *

"…"

"…"

"…"

Temari gave a small growl of frustration as she stood. "I am tired to sitting here and waiting for the snow to stop."

All of the others turned to look at her.

Finally Kiba spoke, "It took you long enough! We all had to wait for YOU to snap!"

Temari frowned. "Ne, Kiba-san, I don't remember asking for you opinion." She said loftily, trying to pretend indifference. "Neji-san, use your Byakugan and tell us if it is still snowing."

Neji did so, scouting the area with his eyes. Finally he answered back, "The snow is lessening."

Kiba whooped and Akamaru began barking happily. Tenten let out a relieved laugh and Shino smiled from behind his shirt collar.

Temari pulled out her fan. "Very well, I'll get rid of all this snow."

The others all jumped backwards, knowing not to get in the way of Temari, especially when she was holding onto her fan. She gave one large swing and the wind power shot the large snow embankment out from the mouth of the cave. Cold air—or rather colder air—rushed inside at that moment, but none of them cared as they ran outside, their smiles tired, but content.

"Alright, Temari-dono!" Kiba grinned. "Remind me not to get in your way when you're angry."

"I'll do that." Temari couldn't help but grin back. "Shino-san, I need you to scout ahead. Neji-san, you are the rear guard. I'll go behind Shino, then Kiba-san and Akamaru will guard the sides, and Tenten-san will guard Neji-san."

The others nodded as they went into their respective positions. Temari continued, "Stone isn't a friendly country, or an ally of Leaf or Sand, so we have to be careful. We'll probably end up running into some stone-nin at some point in time, so everyone be ready. Be sure to watch the ground! They love being sneaky."

* * *

Neji merely headed to the back with Tenten and they drifted a little while apart from the others. He scanned the forest with his Byakugan, eye's narrowed. He landed on the ground as he spied something. An errant lock of bright pink hair. He picked it up, excitement welling in his chest.

"Neji-kun, we're supposed to be guarding the rear." Tenten spoke as she landed beside him. "What is it?"

Neji merely tied the small pink hair around his finger thoughtfully, before stretching his Byakugan far in the direction the hair had been in. A town lay in the distance. Neji's heart jumped. _Sakura…_ He made ready to leap when Tenten jumped in front of him.

"Neji-kun! We can't go anywhere. We have to catch up with Temari-dono and the others."

"Iie."

Tenten's brows furrowed. "Iie?"

"Go on ahead."

"Neji-kun!" Tenten shook her head. "I won't leave you! Temari-dono ordered us to stay with her. Come on."

"I have a lead. I have to go find Sakura."

"Neji! I—I won't let you! We have to follow this mission through to the end! You're probably following a dead end anyway! If I have to fight you Neji-kun I wi—" Tenten's eyes widened, before closing as she slumped to the ground.

Neji watched her fall with a small frown. _I'm sorry I had to do that, Tenten…but Sakura is more important than anything at the moment._

* * *

Temari couldn't help but smile at the thought that they all did what they were told, even Neji. She supposed he was willing to follow her rules for now, as long as she led him to Sakura. Still, Neji was making her slightly uncomfortable. She knew he loved Sakura and would do anything o get her back, and he was too willing to take risks to do that. He was an endangerment to their team, but he was needed.

_Mores the pity…_ Temari sighed as they whipped through the snow. None of them paid attention to the cold, for they were all just glad to be out of the cave and in the fresh air again.

"We'll be coming to Stone soon." Shino answered from the front.

"Any shinobi, Neji-san?" Temari called behind her.

…

…

…

…

"Neji-san?"

Temari whirled around to see that Neji was not there.

And neither was Tenten.

"Dammit!" Temari cursed, "Everyone stop!"

Everyone, which meant Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru, froze in their tracks. Temari turned to them furiously. "Neji-san has probably gone off on his own, the stupid bastard. Now we'll have to waist time to go find him. Kiba, Akamaru, smell him out and lead me to him. Shino, I want you to go ahead to Stone and wait for us there, scouting out the area. We'll take some of your kikai with us, if that's alright."

"Of course." Shino lifted out his hand. Temari hesitantly put out her's and a few of the bugs crawled onto her skin. She jumped slightly, but didn't pull back as they tucked themselves into her sleeve. "Can you have them give me some kind of warning sign if you're in trouble?"

"Hai." Shino answered. "Temari-dono."

Temari looked back at him, for she'd turned to run with Kiba. "Hai?"

"Tenten-san is unconscious."

"How do you know?"

Shino didn't answer, just merely said, "She's a while back, but Neji-san is not with her." Then he disappeared.

Temari gave a frustrated sigh. "Kiba-san, go after Tenten-san's scent with Akamaru. I'll go after that baka Neji."

Kiba nodded.

"But first, which way did Neji go?"

Kiba pointed slightly to the east, "Akamaru says there's a town there. That's where he thinks Neji's headed." Then he headed off to find Tenten.

Temari lunged through the trees in the direction she believed Neji had gone. _You damn fool! When I catch you—you're dead!"_

* * *

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Sakura-san." Deidara spoke as he stopped at her door. "That's when we're heading out, yeah."

"Oh. Hai." Sakura nodded with a small smile. "We're heading to Stone…"

Deidara tried not to notice her saddened look, but instead gave her a large hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Good night then, Sakura-san."

"Good night, Deidara-san." Sakura whispered back as she watched him go to his room. He shut the door behind him with a click. She stood outside in the hallway, contemplating. She didn't want to go inside of her and Itachi's room. She knew she'd just end up sleeping on the chair—or the floor. She'd prefer the chair.

She knew that Sasori was already in his room asleep. After all, Sakura and Deidara had been the last ones up from the sitting room. She wondered if perhaps she should ask Sasori and Deidara if she could sleep in their room. At least then, she wouldn't have to sit on a chair while both Kisame and Itachi slept in warm…comfortable…soft…beds…

She'd tried to ask Kisame for his bed, hinting that it would be the kind and gentlemanly thing to do. He had promptly stripped down and slipped under the covers with a grin, saying that unless Sakura was planning on sharing the bed with him—which he said he wouldn't object to—then she'd just have to get used to sleeping in the chair.

Sakura had chosen the chair, much to Kisame's exasperation.

She'd made sure not to ask Itachi for his. It hadn't ended well the first time, and she doubted Itachi liked being asked for something more than once.

And now she was standing outside of their room once again, and she didn't know what to do. She gave a small sigh as she opened the door and stepped inside, a little bit of courage welling up inside of her.

"Good evening, Itachi-san…"

* * *

Orochimaru gave a growl of pain as Kabuto unwrapped his arms. He let out a loud hiss as he lathered it in ointment.

"That will not help, you fool."

Kabuto flinched, but continued to apply the salve. He then began bandaging.

"When Haruno Sakura comes, she will be able to dull the pain completely."

"She'll do more than that, Kabuto." Orochimaru chuckled, though it ended in a hiss once more as his arms burned. "She'll heal them completely. You had best study under her and learn what it is she knows, if you want to continue your usefulness…Kabuto…"

Kabuto's eyes flashed and he gritted his teeth slightly as he nodded. "Hai, Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru watched him out of the corner of his eye with a malicious grin, before he let out a gasp as the pain began surfacing again.

"Where is that damn medicine for this pain?"

* * *

"And here I thought you'd gained some gentlemanly manners, Itachi." Sakura muttered to herself as she sat down on the large chair. He was sitting on the bed, reading his book. "I guess this means you won't move." She noticed his stoic gaze with a small sigh. He wouldn't move for anyone. She guessed if the hotel were on fire, he still wouldn't move, just to show that it was his spot and he wouldn't move for _anything._

"So you won't even give me the blanket?"

…

…

…

Sakura sighed deeply. "Fine then." She headed to the door with a small frown. She was halfway across the room when Itachi finally spoke.

"Where are you going?"

Sakura merely reached for the door handle. "Deidara's room. He'll give me a place to sleep."

She began to turn the knob when a hand caught her wrist. She felt warmth encompass her and could smell Itachi's scent, as well as feel his breath on her neck. She stiffened, hand letting go of the knob immediately. She felt trapped.

If Itachi noticed this, he didn't do anything about it. He pressed further against her, until her skin jolted as the back of her neck met with the v-line of his mesh shirt and their skin touched. He was warm.

"Ne, Itachi?" Sakura frowned, trying to keep her wits about her, confusion flooding her body. What on earth was he doing? Surely he didn't mean to rape her again… _I won't let him! I'll call for Deidara or Sasori! _

…_Sasori won't do anything to help me. He respects Itachi too much…_ Itachi's hands began trailing up Sakura's arms. Something moved in the pit of her stomach.

_Deidara…_

Itachi turned her around and Sakura's eyes met his blazing crimson one's. Her own widened as she saw more than the Sharingan blazing in their depths. It was something she hadn't seen before…not anger or blood lust…nor the lusting triumph from the night he had raped her…no…it was something much different.

_I need to scream…Deidara will save me…he will…_ She thought feebly as she continued to stare at him. She wondered if he was using some type of doujutsu to keep her in her place, but she soon realized it was merely shock and…surprise, that had her frozen.

…_he will…_

Itachi's lips suddenly came down on Sakura's mouth and she gasped out in surprise, the warmth and vigor in his kiss startling her.

…_save…_

Emotions and thoughts rushed through her mind, making an incomprehensible swirl that she couldn't control or understand. The feeling in her stomach deepened, as if something inside of her, long asleep, was uncurling from its slumber. As if some emotion were being awakened.

…_me…_

Itachi's tongue darted into her mouth, as confident and forceful as Itachi himself. For once, instead of a plan of attack darting into her mind, Sakura drew a blank. She didn't try and back away, even if she could have. One of Itachi's hands played with her hair.

_What is he doing? My god…what's going on…why can't I move!?!?!_

She blinked, and Itachi withdrew a few inches from her, his breath on her cheek. Sakura still hadn't moved, she was in too much of a shock.

Suddenly Itachi spoke, in a voice that was slightly hoarse, close to her ear. "You can have the bed." His breath tickled her ear before he withdrew completely, and was once again Itachi Uchiha, traitor of Konoha and killer of the Uchiha Clan.

He pulled his cloak around him as he stepped into the hallway. Sakura continued to stare into space as the door clicked shut behind him. Sakura put a hand to her lips, which tingled from his kiss.

Uchiha Itachi was not like Deidara or Neji Hyuga. His kiss held no promise of gentleness or protection. It wasn't desire or lust as before, either. It merely overflowed with …a strange, primal desperation. A need.

For what, Sakura did not know. At the moment, her mind was in a fog. She couldn't make out the ceiling from the floor. Too much was running through her mind. Itachi had kissed her. Even for him, it had been gentle, unlike the kisses before. Once again, as if he regretted the rape and was trying to make amends.

_Or perhaps he just knows that you would rather have those types of kisses, Sakura._ Her inner voice warned.

Sakura deftly walked to the bed, slipping underneath the covers, still in a daze. She didn't fall asleep as she turned to look at the ceiling.

A kiss…

A kiss from Uchiha Itachi.

Suddenly she doubled over, feeling sick as she sat up, almost curling herself into a tight ball. _No, no, no…oh god no…please…_ She blinked as tears rushed to her eyes. _Don't do this to me…_ She whispered furiously to herself. She wrapped the blankets around her thin form, shoulders shaking.

Sakura continued to stare down at her own hands, as if she couldn't see how they were hers. She bit her lip, wanting to rip it off. How dare she let herself be carried away…how dare her body betray her. No…not her.

She'd just betrayed Sasuke.

Not because she couldn't stop Itachi from kissing her…

…

…

…

…but because even if she could have, she knew immediately that she would not.

And that was what sickened her the most. She felt unclean and horrible, as if she was inside of someone else. This couldn't be her body. Her own body would never allow such a thing to happen. _She_ would never allow such a thing to happen.

She was ashamed of herself. She had just kissed a murderer, and she didn't regret it.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind, even through all the shame and self-hatred. A simple, small, and seemingly insignificant thing. Something that normally would mean nothing to anyone. But it made her smile softly, even through her tears. It made a small weight lift off of her shoulders as she realized that perhaps, somewhere, there was something good inside of him. Something she wanted to see again, however dangerous it would be. Something so complex in its simplicity…

…_He gave me the bed…_

**(A/N: I told you things would heat up! Itachi's finally showing us that sweet side of his. Sweet…right…but at least we know he DOES have a heart. Deidara is probably not going to be too happy about Itachi and Sakura kissing, though…**

**More…controversies in the next chapter. Lots of arguments…fights…and maybe a small surprise for everyone! **

**Can't wait till next time! Thanks for all the reviews, they're always welcome!)**


	11. Chapter 10: The Blowing Wind of Change

**Chapter 10**

**The Blowing Wind of Change: Betrayal and Hate**

Sakura opened her eyes wearily once more, cursing herself inwardly. The one time she was given a peaceful moment of sleep and she couldn't do it. She sat up out of the bed, frowning to herself.

Why?

That's the question that was keeping her awake. Why on earth had he done it? He didn't need to give her the bed. It was completely out of character. What was the point? What would _he_ have gained from doing so?

"Dammit…I can't understand him…" Sakura whispered fervently as she looked down at her hands. She tucked a few strands of her hair out of her eyes.

She bit her lip as she looked at the door from her seat on the bed. She could tell that Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame were all asleep. She didn't know about Itachi. In fact…she couldn't feel his presence inside of the building. No, that wasn't true…it was just… Sakura's eyes widened as she realized he was _outside_ of the building. Her brows furrowed as she slipped out of bed. She headed to the door when she noticed that it wasn't Deidara's cloak waiting on the chair. It was Itachi's.

She stroked the fabric thoughtfully as she placed it around her shoulders. Once more she was enveloped in his scent. However, the tang of blood was still there, surfacing and stinging her nostrils. Why did everything he wore have to smell like blood?

_Maybe that is how it will always be…his hands will always be covered in blood._

_That is the way of all shinobi._ Her other side, the small part of her that had taken over before, that had kissed him back, argued.

_Not all shinobi massacre families and ruin Sasuke-kun's entire life._

Sakura stared down at the floor, gripping a few folds of the cloak in her hands and twisting them. "…Sasuke-kun…" She ignored the tears that entered her eyes, pushing them aside with a small amount of resolve.

_What are the people that regular shinobi kill but the family of others? Are they not the mother or father, sister or brother, of someone somewhere?_

The thought shocked her to the core.

What was she…but a murderer? A killer of families?

_But you kill for your village! You obey your Hokage unlike Itachi who kills needlessly._

Sakura felt her stomach roil in revulsion as it struck her once more, the horrendousness of her own doings. _…can a person really justify killing?_

She knew the answer before she spoke it, as she turned the doorknob and walked into the hallway.

"No."

She closed the door behind her with a soft click.

* * *

"Shikamaru—hey Shikamaru!" Naruto called out frantically, waving his hand in front of his face.

Shikamaru looked up, "What is it, Naruto?" He gave an annoyed sigh as she frowned. "Is there something you want?"

"Why did Gaara send _him_?" Naruto stuck his thumb back at the Sand shinobi who was sitting with his own Sand ANBU.

The person in question turned to look at them with his own sneer. He shifted the large wrapped object on his back and frowned. The movement made the paint on his face shift.

"So Kankuro-san isn't exactly ANBU material, so what?" Shikamaru shrugged. "What, does he get on your nerves?"

"Well DUH!" Naruto exclaimed. "I mean, isn't he supposed to be a Jônin sensei now or something?"

"Hai…" Shikamaru nodded.

"Then why is he here taking control of these ANBU?"

Shikamaru sighed as he shook his head. "The same reason Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei were helping _us_. Because we need all the help we can get." _And because I really need to get on the good side of my soon to be in-laws…_

Hinata and Kakashi appeared in front of the large group. Hinata gave a small nod in Shikamaru's direction. "Th-the border of Stone is very close. There's a town a few days ahead. W-we could t-take shelter there before we h-head to Stone."

"Arigato, Hinata-san." Shikamaru nodded.

"H-hai!" Hinata nodded.

"Hey Hinata, come here." Naruto slung an arm around Hinata's shoulders and led her off to talk with her alone.

"What a loser." Kankuro walked over to the Konoha shinobi. "He hasn't changed, has he? He's still the most immature baka I've never met."

"Hey, everything else in the world's changing, just think how worried I'd be if Naruto-san changed now. He's the only person I can depend on to be the same as he always is." Shikamaru shook his head. "Its twisted logic, but it's true."

"Yeah." Kankuro snorted. "Whatever."

"Hey Kankuro-san." Ino turned to them from where she stood with Choji. "Can we be sure that those ANBU don't attack us like the other ones?"

Kankuro grinned. "They won't attack you. These ones are loyal. Gaara just had to send those other ones to deal with the immediate situation because all of the loyal ones were elsewhere. I guess he suspected that Temari could keep them in line."

"Come on, let's all get some sleep." Shikamaru announced. He leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. "We head out before sunrise tomorrow and head to the town. Maybe we'll get some information on Temari-dono and her group there."

Kankuro muttered under his breath, "Don't you mean Temari-_chan_?" The comment was below hearing level, but since he was surrounded by shinobi, all of them heard it. Most of them coughed to hide their laughs.

Ino and Choji laughed loudly, not even trying to hide it.

Shikamaru gave a sigh, his eyes still closed. "What a drag…"

Kiba dropped onto the ground, his boots crunching in the snow as he landed. Akamaru landed beside him, immediately rushing the prone figure on the ground. He gave a soft yip as he walked over, pushing with his nose.

* * *

Kiba stooped down to see Tenten's motionless body. It had begun snowing again, and the flakes had begun burying her. She shivered, her ANBU cloak hanging halfway off of her.

_Dammit Hyuga, she could have frozen to death._ Kiba cursed as he sat down on the ground. Akamaru took the hint and curled around Tenten to keep her warm. Kiba pulled out a fire scroll and did a few hand signs, making it burst into flame.

He collected a few spars tree branches and made a makeshift fire in the middle of the small clearing. It was a sad little flame, since the wood was wet from the snow. He fed it a few pieces of paper he had in his pack to keep it alive.

_She would have died and you wouldn't have cared, would you, Hyuga? All you cared about was getting back Sakura-chan…_

Kiba looked down as Tenten let out a soft groan.

_Sakura-chan is important to all of us…but surely she isn't worth the death of another?_

Tenten's eyes fluttered open and she didn't seem to know where she was for a moment, before her eyes widened. She shot up into a sitting position.

"NEJI!"

Akamaru yelped as he was pushed off of her. He landed on the snow and stood, shaking the wetness off of him. Tenten's brows furrowed in confusion, before she seemed to recognize Kiba and Akamaru.

"Kiba, we have to get to Neji-kun! He's going after Sakura-chan…what happened?"

Kiba grunted as he handed her a small bit of his rations. "Neji knocked you unconscious."

"Oh." Tenten nodded slowly, feeling her cheeks burn with hurt and humiliation. _Neji…how could you?  
_

"What happened? Did he say anything to you before…you know?" Kiba asked.

Tenten nodded. "He said he was heading to the town a few days away. It'll only take him through the night at the pace he's going. We have to hurry!"

"Does he think Sakura-san is there?"

"Hai." Tenten answered back readily. _Neji thought she was more important than I was…more important than me…the one who's been a member of his team…who has known him forever…the one who loved him…_

Tenten's hands clenched as she gritted her teeth. "Dammit…we have to go after him. He's an idiot and he's going to get himself killed."

"Temari-san went after Neji and Shino's waiting at the Stone border." Kiba began. "We're supposed to meet up with Shino…"

"I'm sure Temari-san would understand." Tenten stood, trying not to show the hurt on her face as she thought of Neji. "We have to go and help her. Neji isn't going to just apologize and promise to be a good little boy from now on. He's going to fight her…he's already showed that he can't be trusted…"

"Hai." Kiba nodded. "He can't be trusted."

Tenten closed her eyes before opening them once more. "Let's go, Kiba-san."

"Yeah." Kiba stood as well, brushing the snow off of his pants. "Let's go." Then he, Akamaru, and Tenten disappeared.

* * *

Temari whipped through the trees. She could feel her rage beginning to take over. _You idiot…you damn idiot…_ She continued to silently curse Neji as she jumped from tree branch to tree branch.

_You disobeyed my orders…_

Temari felt the shift in the wind and knew that it would begin snowing heavily again. She had a few hours tops, before it began. Hopefully she could outrun it.

…_you attacked another member of our team…_

She knew there was a town not that far ahead, and suspected that was where Neji was headed. Could Sakura possibly be there? Had the Akatsuki been snowed in by that large storm just like Temari and the others?

…_you're endangering Sakura by rushing headlong into a situation that you don't understand…_

She wondered where Shikamaru and the others were. She knew they had to have met Gaara by then. They had to have been out of Sand by now…they had to have begun catching up.

…_if something happens to her, Neji…I'll kill you…_

Temari almost stopped as she realized that Shikamaru and the others had probably bypassed the storm completely. That would mean they would almost been in the same place as Temari herself.

_I wish I could tell Shino-san this. I need him to come here with Kiba and Tenten. _

"I couldn't stay behind." Shino appeared beside her. "Tenten and Kiba are coming as well, a few hours behind us."

"Dammit, this is the second time someone has defied my orders!" Temari snapped, though inwardly she was happy that Shino was there. "Oh well, let's hurry. We should be able to catch up to that idiot Neji if we keep to this pace."

"Hai, Temari-dono." Shino nodded.

Temari hastened her pace as they continued. Still…if there was a chance that Sakura was there…Temari knew she would have gone to save her as well.

_Temari and Sakura stood outside of the Sand Village, near the desert. They were seated on the roof of one of the outlying buildings. _

_Sakura gave a small sigh as she watched the sun set. "Temari-chan, what on earth has happened to us?"_

"_Nani?" Temari raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at her friend. _

"_Because of all of this war, we've all been forced to grow up sooner than we should have. All the little children in my village…they all have old eyes. They should be playing and skipping and instead they're studying their ninjutsu and learning battle."_

"_What's the problem with that?" Temari shrugged. "They want to protect their village."_

"_I guess…" Sakura whispered. _

_Temari gave a small smile. "That's not what is really bothering you. Spill it."_

_Sakura smiled faintly. "…Naruto and Jiraiya haven't reported back. It's said they entered Sound territory a few weeks ago…no one has seen them."_

"_You're worried about them…but what does that have to do with the little children of your village?"_

"_Naruto shouldn't even be in Sound. He shouldn't be a shinobi and he shouldn't have blood on his hands!" Sakura answered back emphatically. "The only thing on his mind should be which girl to date, or how to study for his next algebra test."_

"_But we are shinobi, Sakura. Unlike other children, we don't live normal lives." Temari explained slowly. _

"_What have we come to…that children are being taught to kill?"_

_Temari couldn't truly answer her question. "I don't know Sakura. Our day and age is not peaceful. We have enemies, our parents and leaders have made these enemies and we can't change that. We have to protect our villages because sooner or later our parents and leaders will be gone, replaced by us. If we haven't been trained in the ways of war, we will be worse off than not."_

_Sakura sniffed. "I know. I just don't like it, dammit."_

"_Sakura…this isn't even about that. I could tell. You're ranting to keep your mind off of something else. What is it?"_

_Sakura bit her lip as she wrapped her arms around her legs and brought them closed to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees. "…if he had never been trained as a shinobi…Itachi would never have killed his family, and Sasuke-kun wouldn't have left the village…me…for revenge."_

"_What are you saying?"_

"…_I'm saying that our village created a monster. A monster that killed Sasuke's family and ruined his life. They created their own downfall! This entire society, this world! They did it! They created people like Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. They made them who they are because we are bred on violence and distrust and hate!" Sakura growled out. _

"…" _Temari didn't say anything as she let Sakura continue to vent out all her anger and frustration. _

"_If it weren't for our villages I never would have become a shinobi either! I would have been a normal young girl who didn't care about how to get the blood out of her clothing. The most important thing on my mind would be what shirt to wear with what pants! I hate it and it disgusts me because…if I had never become a shinobi…without them…"_

_Temari waited for it, the real answer to all of this ranting. _

"…_I never would have been shown how weak I really am…" It came out as a faint whisper._

_But Temari heard it. And it struck her painfully. She merely patted Sakura's back as she cried. She didn't know what to do. She'd never really known how to deal with tears, but she supposed she should comfort her. She gave her a small, short hug. _

"_Sakura…you're right about one thing…without all of this violence…maybe Itachi and the other Akatsuki, as well as Orochimaru, may not have become who they are today…but…the thing is, you can't possibly know that. Everything happens for a reason. Everything."_

"…_I wish I was strong like you, Temari." _

* * *

Itachi looked up when Sakura sat down beside him on the roof. She shifted in the small layer of snow, tucking her legs beneath her as she huddled for warmth. He watched her curiously, wondering what she was doing.

She gave him a small smile as she noticed his questioning gaze. Her bright green eyes seemed to glisten in the moonlight. "I couldn't sleep."

"Hn."

"I guess it was too peaceful and comfortable. I haven't had a bed to sleep in for a long time."

Itachi merely shifted in his Akatsuki robe, looking up at the stars.

Sakura watched him. _Just like Sasuke. I guess he likes stargazing as much as the next Uchiha._ The thought made her smile.

"I wanted to say thank you."

"Hn." Itachi raised an eyebrow as he turned to her.

Sakura smiled, but didn't say anything.

"…for what?" Itachi finally had to ask. The girl was actually drawing him into a conversation, amazingly enough.

"You showed me that you actually have a heart, Itachi." Sakura let out a small laugh, making her breath turn to steam in the air.

Itachi snorted.

"And I want to heal your eyes."

That immediately got his attention. Itachi looked down at her, eyes narrowing. "Nani?" He continued to watch her, wondering. Had she just said what he thought she said?

"I want to heal them…" Sakura whispered as she lifted a hand tentatively.

Itachi's instincts forced him into motion. He had her wrist in one hand, her body pinned against him with the other. Sakura made no attempt to free herself. She continued to breathe evenly.

Itachi slowly let go of her, almost ashamed at his own actions. How pitiful was it, that he immediately viewed everything as a threat. Was he so afraid of death?

Sakura rubbed her sore wrist, but merely lifted her hand again, stopping just out of his reach. "Itachi-san. I want to heal your eyes."

"You can't."

"How do you know that? I've…I've been studying doujutsus." Sakura gave a crooked smile. "And I came across the Sharingan. I think I can help fix your vision."

Itachi continued to watch her.

"Itachi…"

He did nothing as he looked down at her. The snow dotted her Akatsuki robe and flittered through her hair. A few errant bangs drifted across her face in the slight breeze.

"_Please…"  
_

Itachi blinked, realizing he had been staring. For a moment he did nothing, and Sakura was afraid he'd refuse. Finally, surprising not only her but also himself, Itachi nodded.

Sakura faltered for a moment, before a small smile graced her lips and she lifted a hand to his eyes. "Arigato, Itachi-san."

She placed her fingertips upon his temples, peering into his eyes deeply. She bit her lower lip as she tried to diagnose the problem. "Could you…could you take off the Sharingan for a moment, please?"

Itachi consented.

Sakura dug deeper, noticing the changes immediately.

"Alright…I think I can heal it a little bit right now."

Itachi almost gave a groan of relief as cool, healing chakra pooled from her fingertips and into him. The instant reprieve felt wonderful, but in those few seconds, fear gripped him as his sight disappeared completely.

He didn't even know what he was doing as his world went black. He shoved forward, kunai in hand, pushing his attacker to the ground. He tried to activate his Sharingan but couldn't, he couldn't see! For once in his life he panicked.

Then his sight returned as quickly as it had left. He realized later than it had only been gone a few seconds. He blinked as he saw Sakura beneath him, eyes wide in surprise and fear. Warm liquid dripped onto his fingers. He looked down to see his kunai embedded in her arm. She barely flinched as he pulled it out.

She sat up, placing a hand on the wound. She turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "…I was just healing it."

"Hai." Itachi answered back. He felt like the world's fool, but he was not about to say a thing. What could have happened in those moment's of blindness. What if an enemy shinobi had attacked? He would have been helpless. He did not like leaving his life in someone else's hands.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura looked up, eyes confused. Then, as the words sank in, a bright and glorious smile lit her face, before hiding behind a smaller one. However, her eyes still shined as she nodded.

"Apology accepted, Uchiha Itachi." She used her chakra to heal her arm. She lifted her hand away and no wound remained.

"Sakura."

Sakura looked up at Itachi once more.

"Tomorrow when we stop to make camp," Itachi lifted his hand and tucked an errant lock of hair out of her face before standing. "You'll continue healing my eyes then." And then he jumped off of the roof.

Sakura watched him go, a wondering smile on her face as she shook her head. Only Itachi would be able to turn an offer of kindness into an order. He had to make it look like he was still tough and in control.

_He has to remain Uchiha Itachi._

She gave a small laugh as she stood and began heading inside as well.

She didn't notice the crystalline blue eyes that peered out at her from the other side of the roof. An Akatsuki robe shifted as the blonde haired shinobi headed silently back inside, hatred and jealously etched into every line of his body.

* * *

Tsunade looked up as Shizune rushed inside of the room, panting and out of breath. "Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade didn't know what had riled her, but one look at her told her it wasn't good news. _And here I thought we were making improvements…_ Tsunade gave an inward sigh. She'd been getting word from her ANBU squads about the movements of the Sound Village. So far, nothing untoward had happened. She had called all of them back into Konoha country, so that all of their military strength would be centered there and in Sand, where their allies were doing much the same thing.

"What is it, Shizune?"

"Some ANBU from Sand…they…they found…" Shizune held her chest to still her erratically beating heart as she tried to catch her breath. "They were the last ones still investigating Sound and they found…" She finally had the ability to speak normally. "That the Sound shinobi were amassing an army."

"Nani!?" Tsunade stood from her seat, a raging tower of fury.

Shizune flinched. "Hai, Tsunade-sama."

"Dammit!" Tsunade roared as she picked up her office chair.

Shizune closed her eyes with a wince as the chair went flying out the window, shattering the glass. She cringed once more as she heard it land on the ground with a loud thump, as well as the angered yells of several bystanders who had been walking underneath the building.

"You must be angry, Tsunade." Jiraiya leaned in the windowsill with a grin. "I haven't seen you throw furniture in a long time."

"Dammit Jiraiya!" Tsunade clenched a fist and lunged at him.

Jiraiya, face a bit more serious now, dodged and watched the wall behind her erupt into pieces of crumbled mortar and stone. He exchanged glances with Shizune and guessed from her pale face that it was something drastically bad.

"What's wrong, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked calmly now, all trace of mockery and teasing out of his voice. "Hm?"

Tsunade breathed in deeply. "That damn Orochimaru is gathering forces for his army! This can only mean he plans to attack!"

"…or that he already has Sakura-chan and has had her heal his arms…" Genma walked inside at that precise moment.

"Dammit! Knock!" Tsunade snapped out.

Genma raised on eyebrow lazily, noting the ruined wall behind Tsunade. "Sorry."

"As I said before, Sakura-chan would never heal Orochimaru's arms." Tsunade began, trying to regain back her self-control. "She would have…killed herself first."

"She's still young." Jiraiya answered. "And Orochimaru is very persuading. Perhaps…"

"Sakura Haruno is a shinobi of Konoha." Tsunade stood up straight and tall, towering over both Jiraiya and Genma. "She knows that protecting Konoha, at the cost of her own life, is her most important mission."

"But Tsunade-sama…" Shizune whispered, afraid to speak. "If Orochimaru's arms ARE healed and he IS amassing an army…we need the three ANBU squads back. Besides the fact that the Kazekage's second in command is out there as we speak. I have no doubt Gaara-dono will want her back for the battle and—"

"Don't you think I know that!?" Tsunade yelled out helplessly. "But Sakura-chan…I can't give up on her!"

"Hokage-sama." Genma answered seriously. "Perhaps you do not remember, that the most important duty of shinobi—no, of the Hokage, is to ensure Konoha's safety at all costs. Sakura-chan was a wonderful shinobi and we will all grieve that loss, but we must bring back those ANBU."

Tsunade bit her lip, frustrated tears threatening to break through. She breathed in deeply as if trying to make a hard decision. Finally she spoke. "I will send Hiashi Hyuga to Sand to warn the Kazekage of the Sound Village's intentions, as well as tell him to listen to Gaara-dono should the Sound village attack while he is in the Sand Village."

She gripped her desk tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I want all of Konoha on alert, but do not make the citizens panic. If Orochimaru does attack, you all know what to do. Call back any other ANBU who aren't close to Konoha…"

She then spoke through gritted teeth, as if willing herself to speak. "And send out a bird to tell Shikamaru to abandon the mission and come back to Konoha as soon as possible."

"Hai." Shizune, Genma, and Jiraiya all answered wearily. They disappeared quickly to do their tasks, and Tsunade leaned forward on her desk, head in hands, as she began to cry.

* * *

Temari caught sight of Neji at the edge of the forest. She doubled her speed as she pulled out her fan, anger etched in every line of her body as she swung it. _If I have to incapacitate you, Hyuga, I will._

Shino almost flinched at the angry glare in Temari's eyes. He really didn't want to be Neji at the moment.

Neji dodged, but that gave Temari enough time to reach him. "Dammit Hyuga! Stop!" She lunged forward to grab his arm but she saw his hand slip down towards her rib cage, and she had to veer slightly to dodge. He was using his Juken style on her!

Temari once again pulled out her fan. "Hyuga, don't make my fight you. It wouldn't be a fair battle and I might have to kill you to knock some sense into you. What the hell were you thinking back there?"

Neji glared at her with his Byakugan. "Sakura is in that town. I know it."

"No. You don't." Temari snapped. "You _think_ she's in that town. And she could have been at one point in time but you don't know about that now. Stop being a self-righteous bastard."

"At least let me check."

"You defied my orders, Hyuga!" Temari growled. "I am the captain of this squad. You have to obey my orders, if you agree with them or not. If you can't take orders, than you can't be a shinobi."

"I don't care." Neji answered back steadily. "All I want is to get Haruno-san back."

Temari's shoulders sagged as she gave a small sigh. _He really is in love with her isn't he?_ Another small part of her gave an annoyed groan. _I bet that idiot baka Shikamaru wouldn't come for _me_ if I were kidnapped. It would be too _troublesome_…_

Temari bit her lip. "Are you sure that Sakura-chan is in that town?"

"I'd bet my life on it."

"Very well." Temari sighed. "I'll hold you to your promise, Hyuga. At daybreak, we'll go check the town and see if she is there, understood? If you try and go sooner than that I will kill you!"

Neji glared but said nothing.

"Fine, we have exactly two hours of sleep, I suggest we use them." Temari announced. She motioned to Shino, "Keep watch." She then turned back to Neji. "Get some sleep, Hyuga."

Neji settled down, not knowing if he'd just won a battle or not. For some reason, he felt as if he was making a big mistake in staying behind until daybreak. He also didn't fall asleep. Instead, he turned to look at the town with his Byakugan in hopes of seeing even the faintest sign of bubblegum colored hair.

* * *

Sakura woke up with a small yawn and a tired, but contented smile on her face. However, that smile turned into horrified gasp as she felt the presence of someone else on the bed with her. For a moment panic seized her and she reached for the kunai hidden beneath her pillow.

The first thing she noticed was that her kunai was not there. Someone must have taken it. The second thing she noticed was that the person beside her was talking.

"It's time to wake up, cherry blossom."

Sakura blinked, then turned to see Itachi sitting up in the bed, reading his book. _Does he ever sleep?_ She nodded to him, before slipping out of the covers. She noticed, with relief, that she and Itachi had used different blankets to sleep in during the night. Itachi must have known how uncomfortable she got with someone else sleeping next to her.

_Still, he said I could have the bed. What's this all about?_

As if he had read her mind, Itachi answered, a bit of amusement flickering in his red Sharingan eyes. "I was already in bed when you got in."

Sakura felt a blush come forth, but she pushed it aside as she nodded. "Oh." She then slipped out of the bed, heading to the chair that held her clothes. She noticed that Kisame was still asleep, snoring loudly. _I'm surprised I slept through that._

She grabbed the emerald green kimono that Deidara had gotten her and made her way to the bathroom. She noted that Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly at her choice of clothing, but she didn't really care. She had promised Deidara she'd wear the kimono just like she wore the Akatsuki yukata that Itachi had gotten her. Fair was fair. Besides, she didn't see why they had to fight about it at all. She knew that Itachi just wanted to make it look like he controlled everything she did, down to what she wore. Deidara, however, well, she didn't know why _he_ was jealous. He just was.

When she came out of the bathroom in her kimono, she noted that Kisame was up, clutching his head with a groan.

Sakura couldn't help but tease him. "That's what you get for drinking so much."

"Hey kunoichi." Kisame snapped angrily, though his heart wasn't in it, "How are you going to keep up with us in that kimono?"

"You have forgotten that I am, as you have called me since I came here, a kunoichi. And that means I learned to move around in kimonos and dresses." Sakura announced with a small smile. "Just make sure you keep up with _me_."

There was a knock on the door before it opened. Deidara stuck his head in with a smile. "Good morning! Sakura-san, would you like to come help me pack, yeah?"

"Dammit don't KNOCK so loud!" Kisame let out another groan as he rubbed his head.

"Sure." Sakura nodded warily at Deidara. Apparently Deidara wanted to talk to her about something. After all, he wouldn't have just 'asked her to pack' for any reason except to talk to her about something in private.

They headed into the hallway and into Deidara and Sasori's room. Sasori was not there, and his pack was neatly placed upon his bed. Sakura headed over to Deidara's side of the room, sitting down on his bed. "Well?"

"Nani?" Deidara asked innocently.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh." Deidara gave a small grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I, well, yeah…"

Sakura let out a laugh. "Spill it, Deidara-kun!" She clapped a hand over her mouth the moment she said it. _Kun!?!?! What the hell was I thinking!?_

Deidara had stopped trying to speak as he turned to her with wide eyes, and then gave a large, bright smile. "So I'm kun now, yeah?"

"I mean—I didn't mean to…" Sakura began.

Deidara pulled her closed and gave her a smell peck on the cheek. "It's alright, Sakura-san. I like it. You can call me Deidara-kun until your heart's content, yeah."

"Oh." Sakura smiled softly. "Alright…"

"But that means I can call you chan, yeah."

"Alright." Sakura answered instantly. She didn't really mind. In fact, she had been wondering why Deidara hadn't called her chan earlier. After all, they had gotten very close over the past few days.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement, Sakura-chan, yeah." Deidara grinned.

Sakura gave him an answering grin. "Hai, Deidara-kun." She then began picking up his clothing and folding it, placing it in his pack.

"You don't have to do that. I just wanted to talk to you, yeah." Deidara began.

"Oh, I know." Sakura shrugged. "Well, what is it you want to talk to me about?"

"Oh." Deidara gave another sigh. "I guess I just wanted to tell you something, yeah. But first I have to ask you…what do you think of Itachi-san, yeah?"

Sakura looked up at him quickly, eyes wide. Suddenly she began worrying about Deidara's kisses—were they more than just a sign of friendship? They stayed that way, her looking up at Deidara, who was watching her with a mix of worry, anxiousness, and dread.

Sakura opened her mouth to answer, afraid of what she was about to say. However, she wasn't given the chance to do so as Kisame rushed inside, "ANBU! They've found us! Get the kunoichi out of here now!" Then he rushed back out, brandishing his Samehada.

Deidara and Sakura exchanged glances. Sakura bit her lip and whispered, "I'm sorry." Then she disappeared.

"Sakura-chan!" Deidara called out, rushing after her. Even after all of that…she wanted to go back to Konoha? Did she care so little for him, even after everything they'd been through? _She will always love Konoha and hold a loyalty to it, Deidara. _His inner voice chided as he ran after her.

…_and more than she loves you, and more than she loves Itachi, she loves Sasuke with every fiber of her being._

"Hai…" Deidara whispered to himself, not wanting to believe it, even though he knew it was true.

_

* * *

_

_They're here…they came for me…I just have to get to them…_Sakura whispered fervently to herself over and over again as she ran down the stairs. She knew Deidara was coming down after her, but she didn't pay him any attention as she ran. If she got to the others…she could escape. Even if she had to fight Deidara and Itachi in the process.

She slammed open the door to outside of the hotel and stopped. This wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. After all, no group of ANBU stood in front of her. Only three people. Temari of the Sand. Shino Aburame…

"Neji!" Sakura yelled out, seeing him circle Itachi.

Neji looked up, his face alight with joy at seeing her there, finally…However he barely had time to think about it as he dodged a hail of kunai that Itachi sent his way.

"Neji!" Temari yelled over the battle. "Get back." She brandished her fan. "MOVE!"

She had seen Sakura come out, unharmed and healthy. Sakura…they'd made it in time to save her. _Alright, one point to Neji._ She looked to see Shino fighting Kisame, sending his kikai out in swarms as he dodged the large Samehada.

Sasori appeared beside her, and she had to jump into the air to dodge his attack. "Damn." She cursed as she realized that the odds were against them. "Neji! Get Sasori!"

"NO!" Neji growled from where he continued to fight Itachi, "He's _mine_!"

"NOW!" Temari snapped as she grabbed her fan while still in the air, giving one large sweep in Itachi's direction. Neji finally had the sense to move, as did Itachi. The ground they had been standing on erupted into a crater.

Temari lunged at Itachi, and as much as Neji would have liked to stop her, he found himself in the midst of his own battle as Sasori came at him.

"I have to help them…" Sakura whispered as she made to step forward. Then, a group of people erupted from the trees. Tenten, Kiba, and Akamaru. Kiba and Akamaru went for Kisame, while Tenten went to help Neji, if not a bit hesitantly, to fight Sasori.

_Where are the others? Where is Sasuke-kun?_

Suddenly she felt someone grab her from behind. She knew immediately that it was Deidara. "Deidara! Let go!" She cried out as she struggled in his grip. "Let go of me!"

"I wont, yeah." Deidara whispered fervently. "I'm not going to let you go, Sakura-chan."

"NO!" Sakura cried out. "Let go!"

Deidara flinched at the fury and anger in her voice, as well as the desperation. She wanted to go back to Konoha. She didn't want to be with him…she wanted her Sasuke. Deidara held onto her tighter. He wasn't going to let her. He was going to make sure she stayed with him. Even if it meant keeping her with Itachi.

"Please…" Sakura sagged. "Please…" She began sobbing as she watched the battle. It wasn't going well. Temari was still fighting Itachi one on one, and she was waning in chakra and strength.

Kiba and Akamaru were doing fairly well with Shino against Kisame. After all, they had been on a team as Genin, and worked well together.

Tenten and Neji were dodging Sasori's attacks and his puppets, but they didn't seem entirely comfortable working with one another. Sakura didn't know why, but it wasn't helping matters.

Still, a small part of her wanted her friends from Konoha to just run away. To just forget about the fight and leave Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara alone…and Itachi…to just leave them all alone.

…to let her stay there, just for a little longer…

But at that moment, two other figures landed in the street. One of them, Sakura had hoped to never, ever seen again in her entire life.

Tomokazu and Zetsu.

Sakura deftly remembered that Deidara was still holding her, as time seemed to slow and stop. Tomokazu came up behind Temari and she dodged to the left just in time…only to land on the kunai outstretched in Itachi's hand.

Sakura stared in horror as she saw the kunai enter Temari, who let out a gasp of pain as it stabbed her in the chest.

"Nooooooooo!!!!!!" Sakura screamed out as she struggled in Deidara's grasp. "Noooo!!!!!"

However, her cry was nothing compared to Shikamaru's, who had entered the clearing with the other ANBU at that precise moment.

"TEMARI!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sakura continued to vainly struggle in Deidara's arms as Temari fell to the ground like a dead weight. Shikamaru was immediately beside her.

"Sakura-chan!" She heard Naruto call out her name and she turned to look at him with tear-stained eyes—and did not meet his bright blue ones, but the dark, midnight blue of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed out. "Sasuke!" She saw him rush towards her, but then Deidara picked her up in his arms, still struggling to get free, and headed in the other direction with Itachi, Sasori, Kisame, Zetsu, and Tomokazu.

"SASUKE!!!!!!!" That was all Sakura got out before Deidara gently, yet firmly placed a hand over her mouth.

Even as she cried and her tears splattered onto Deidara's hand, he did nothing to show he knew she was there. And Itachi…he merely ran beside them as emotionlessly as before.

_You killed her…you killed Temari…_

* * *

"Temari…" Shikamaru whispered with a choked voice as he knelt beside her. "Temari?"

Temari wearily opened her eyes with a weak smile. "Ne, Shikamaru, I didn't think you'd get here so fast."

"Hang in there Temari, Ino will be able to heal you."

Temari let out a small, weak laugh that ended in a pained cough as blood trickled down her mouth. "Stop trying to be optimistic, Shikamaru. It doesn't suit you."

Suddenly a shadow appeared over her and she grinned. "Hey Kankuro."

"Hey sis." Kankuro's voice sounded clogged.

Shikamaru looked over at where the others were standing. "INO! Hurry!"

"Don't." Temari shook her head. "He…he just missed the heart. Did, did we get Sakura-chan back?"

"…no." Shikamaru whispered.

"Damn."

Shikamaru grabbed her in his arms, afraid to let her go as tears stung his eyes. "Hang in there Temari."

"I guess…I guess you talked with Gaara-kun, ne?"

"Hai."

"What did he say?"

Shikamaru knew she was rambling, but he merely answered her back truthfully. "He said…he said that if I didn't make you happy he was going to kill me."

Temari let out another pained laugh, and then cringed. "That sounds like him."

"Temari…"

Temari began closing her eyes. "I'm getting tired, Shikamaru…I haven't had a good nights sleep in a long time…"

"Temari!"

"…I'm only taking a little nap, don't worry. I'll be up again…in a few hours, to help search for Sakura-chan…" Temari's eyes fluttered shut.

"Temari! TEMARI!"

Shikamaru clutched her body to him, her blood soaking into his ANBU outfit. The others behind him remained silent. No one even moved.

The only sound came from Shikamaru, whose ragged breathing echoed throughout the empty street. The crisp, winter wind that had been blowing faded away to nothing, the moment Temari had closed her eyes.

Shikamaru looked up at them all, his gaze lost. "…Let's head to Stone." The coldness in his voice matched the air around them as a small breeze played with his bangs.

"Ino, Choji, Tenten…take Temari back to the Kazekage."

* * *

When they finally stopped, Sakura merely slumped to the ground. She felt numb all over. She felt Deidara sit down on the ground beside her, but she didn't pay any attention.

She stared down at the ground. No one spoke. They all seemed to realize her need for silence.

"…" Sakura's shoulders shook as she looked up at the Akatsuki surrounding her. To one in particular. The red of his Sharingan reminded her of the Temari's blood, which made her anger mount.

She stood quickly, tears rushing down her cheeks. "Damn you! Damn you I HATE you!" She shrieked as she glared at him. He did nothing to even show he heard her.

"I will never forgive you…you killed her…you killed Temari." Sakura growled, her whole body shaking now.

Still Itachi did nothing.

Smack.

Everyone turned with surprise as Sakura placed her hand back down. Her own jade orbs glistened with unshed tears and burned with fury. Then she slumped to the ground, sobbing once more.

Deidara was immediately beside her, holding her close to him. She sobbed into his shoulder. The others continued to watch in silence, looking from Sakura, to Itachi. Itachi's red Sharingan seemed even more prominent.

Sakura finally turned to look at Itachi, her voice even and deadly, and cold. "I will…never…heal your eyes…"

Itachi watched her for a moment, his Sharingan blazing once more.

"Yes. You will."

Sakura looked up at him with anger and hate, but she Mangekou was already swirling before she knew what was happening. She slumped into a deep sleep as Deidara picked her up.

He glared at Itachi. "You didn't have to do that, Itachi-san, yeah."

Tomokazu watched all of this with interest, noticing Itachi stiffen. He couldn't help but grin and chuckle to himself as he stood, motioning for Zetsu to follow him. Everything was going according to plan…

**(A/N: Merry Christmas! Ok, so that probably isn't the best thing to say to everyone right now, especially after reading that little bit. I hope everyone enjoyed. I tried to make it a little longer as a treat to all of my adamant readers. **

**The next chapter will definitely be edgy. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Merry Christmas once again, **

**Lady Hanaka)**


	12. Chapter 11: Wounds

**Chapter 11**

**Wounds**

Sakura finally managed to open her eyes. She had been awake for at least an hour, but she hadn't regained the strength to move. Desperation and overwhelming grief had racked her body the minute she had awoken.

_Temari…_

She clutched the blanket in one hand, cracking her eyes open slowly, feeling tears leak out as she blearily look at the room from her vantage point. All she saw was the red and black clouds of an Akatsuki robe.

Sakura felt fury boil inside of her. _Itachi…I hate you…_ She lunged forward with an angry growl.

"Whoa. Calm down, yeah." Deidara whispered as he grabbed her hands and pinned them to her sides.

Sakura closed her eyes as she leaned her forehead on his chest, feeling the hot tears slip down her cheeks. _Just Deidara_…She finally managed to get them under control as sat back away from Deidara. He let go of her wrists.

She used her hand to wipe a few of the tears off of her face. They gathered on her finger, becoming one large drop. She fleetingly saw her own reflection in the tear before it fell from her finger and landed on the sheet.

"Are you ok, yeah?"

"Yeah…" Sakura whispered as she sniffed. She didn't look at Deidara as she spoke. She looked around the room. It was brightly lit, with pictures of gardens in frames along the white plaster walls. A potted plant sat on the small wooden side table next to the bed. The curtains were a light, sky blue, which matched the border of pale blue and buttercup flowers along the walls.

"Is this your home?"

"Hai." Deidara nodded, noticing her gaze trailing appreciatively around the room. "It is. We arrived last night, yeah."

"Oh." Sakura nodded absently. She didn't know how she was being so calm and collected. Perhaps it was her shinobi training…or perhaps if she kept talking casually with Deidara she wouldn't think about Temari, or her one chance of escape that had disappeared.

"This room is beautiful." Sakura slipped out of bed, noticing that she wore a sleeping yukata. She went to the window, opening it. Immediately she was enveloped in sunlight. She let out a small gasp of wonder as she looked around. There was no winter here, no snow.

She felt as if she had walked into a life-size version of the Yamanaka Flower shop. The gardens surrounding the house were large and expansive, if not a bit overgrown. But it looked pretty to Sakura, mysterious.

She could hear the soft roar of water from somewhere close by. Her brows furrowed as she turned to Deidara, the question evident on her face.

"We're near the coast, yeah. The cliffs that lead down to the ocean are that way." Deidara pointed in the opposite direction of the gardens.

"Your home is beautiful." Sakura whispered as she turned to look back around the room. She saw the closet and opened it carefully. Inside was a large collection of kimonos and hair ribbons, as well as other things placed in boxes and stacked in the back.

Sakura turned back to Deidara. "Deidara-san, what…?"

_We're back to 'san' now?_ Deidara sighed inwardly, but gave a happy smile. "This was my sister's room. Those were her's, yeah."

"Deidara…" Sakura shut the closet. "I can't…I mean I can't stay in here…it wouldn't be right."

Deidara shook his head. "It's fine, yeah."

Sakura bit her lip, but decided she couldn't argue anymore with him. "Hai…"

Deidara walked to the closet and opened it once more, grabbing out a pale yellow kimono. "Your other kimono is being washed, yeah. You can wear this one."

"Deidara…" Sakura shook her head furiously. "That's your sisters, I can't."

"I want you to, yeah." He placed the kimono in her arms.

"…Arigato, Deidara."

Deidara grinned, "I'll be outside the door when you get finished. I'll give you a tour, yeah."

"Alright." Sakura gave a small smile and nodded. He gave her an answering smile before leaving, shutting the door behind him with a click.

Sakura stared down at the kimono that Deidara had placed in her hands. _I can't let him think there's more between us than there is…he wants more and I can't give it to him. My heart…it belongs to…_The flash of Sharingan entered her mind.

She merely looked to see the only other article of clothing in her room. The Akatsuki yukata and slacks that Uchiha Itachi had given her.

Sakura hurriedly stripped out of the sleeping yukata and placed on the yellow kimono. She tied the pale blue and bright pink obi herself, finishing quickly with dark, hard eyes.

She then looked to her shinobi pack, which had been placed beside the chair. There was nothing inside of it of use. Until she looked and saw the small box that had held the jewelry she always kept with her. She opened it with a small smile.

Inside were a few items: A key chain of a frog from Naruto from her thirteenth birthday. A charm bracelet from her parents for the same occasion. Two necklaces from Valentines Day; one from Lee, one from Neji. Some earrings from Hinata and Tenten, and a flower pendant from Ino. The last thing in the box made her smile and yet cry at the same time. It was a pair of chopsticks that Temari had gotten for her, intricately carved with Sand patterns. She picked them up carefully, placing them in her hair.

Apparently Itachi hadn't thought anything in the jewelry box was dangerous. He had made a fatal mistake.

The chopsticks Temari had gotten her had Senbon needles placed inside of them. _Nothing from Sand is harmless._ She remembered the saying Temari had told her with a sad smile and a sniffle.

Sakura gave a small, faint smile as she walked to the door, smoothing the kimono. The next time she saw Itachi…she would return the favor he had bestowed upon Temari.

* * *

"Shikamaru, come on. We have to go." Kankuro sighed as he turned to look at Shikamaru. Shikamaru didn't move, which made Kankuro frown.

They were only a few days away from the town where they had met the Akatsuki, just inside of the Stone border. For some reason, even as they searched for Sakura, Shikamaru's heart didn't seem to be in it.

Kankuro didn't blame him.

He was only glad that he was not the one who was going to be telling Gaara the news. Still, he felt like a coward. He was afraid to face Gaara. Maybe because telling him would make him have to believe it himself, and he didn't want to do that.

Shikamaru was still leaning against the tree trunk. He had yet to respond.

"Come on Shikamaru." Naruto gave a loud sigh of exasperation. "We have to GO!"

"No."

"Shikamaru…" Kiba groaned wearily.

"I said we're not going any further!" Shikamaru snapped.

"You sound like a spoiled little child." Neji snapped back.

Shikamaru glared at him. Neji glared back.

"Maa maa…" Kakashi began.

"We are abandoning this mission and heading to Sand. The Gondaime Hokage has ordered us to."

"NO!" Sasuke and Neji both yelled out.

"But w-what about S-Sakura-chan…?" Hinata whispered fearfully.

"Tsunade-dono said to abandon the mission." Shikamaru didn't even pretend to sound perturbed at the idea.

Kankuro gave a sigh. "I got the same message from Gaara a while back. But when he finds out about Temari he'll—"

"We were told to go and help the Kazekage gather his shinobi against Orochimaru." Shikamaru stood. "Let's go."

"No." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I'm going after Sakura."

"Hai." Neji nodded.

"Me too!" Naruto called out, as if daring Shikamaru to object.

"It's a direct order from the Hokage. You'll be defying the village if you go after her."

"So what?" Naruto snapped. "Why can't you just tell the Hokage that Orochimaru isn't going to get his arms healed if we go right now and rescue Sakura-chan!?"

"Because we're going to Sand and that is final."

"You just don't want to go find Sakura, is that it?"

"Your damn well right." Shikamaru growled out.

"What's your problem, Shikamaru?" Kiba asked. "You're like a different person now. You're not acting like yourself at all."

"…Kiba." Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "Shikamaru is trying to deal with a loss at the moment. It will take time."

"But it's like he blames Sakura-chan or something!" Naruto called out.

_I do._ Shikamaru wanted to yell out. _It's all her fault. Temari…dear god, Temari…_He closed his eyes as a wave of grief rushed over him. He opened them, "We're going to Sand."

Neji and Sasuke watched him angrily.

"Then tell the Hokage that I can't follow through with her orders." Neji finally answered as he disappeared.

"Neji!" Shikamaru called out angrily, but he was gone. As was Sasuke, who had disappeared right after him.

"I'm going too!" Naruto called out.

"N-Naruto!" Hinata whispered fearfully. "You'll b-become a m-missing-nin."

"I don't care! I'm going to go get Sakura-chan back!" Naruto answered.

"W-well…" Hinata bit her lip, and then stepped forward. "Th-then I'm c-coming too!"

"Hinata! Naruto!" Kakashi gave a sigh as they disappeared. He shook his head, before turning to Shikamaru. "Did the Hokage really say to head to Sand?" _Or do you just wish to give up because you can't go on?  
_

"Hai. The Hokage said to head to Sand. The mission to bring back Sakura Haruno is now void." Shikamaru answered coldly.

"But Shikamaru!" Lee began, "We cannot just—"

"Let's go." Shikamaru answered back, standing. "The sooner we get to Sand the sooner we can head to Konoha."

_Besides…I have to talk to Gaara. I have to set things right somehow…_

"Shouldn't we go after Naruto and the others?" Kiba asked. "We can't just let them go out there on their own. I mean…" He trailed off at the look Shikamaru shot him. Akamaru whined as he put his paws over his face, his tail between his legs.

"Alright. Let's head out to Sand." Kakashi announced. The remaining shinobi of Konoha along with the Sand ANBU began the trek towards Sand.

Shino, Kiba, Lee, and Kakashi remained silent as they went.

Kankuro sidled alongside Shikamaru, his Sand ANBU guarding their rear.

"Shikamaru…we don't blame you." Kankuro began, even though his heart wasn't in it. A small, little part of him _did_ blame Shikamaru. Then again, there was also a small part of him that blamed Gaara for sending Temari on that mission, a small part that blamed the idiot Neji for leading Temari into the situation, a small part that blamed Temari for being so stubborn and headstrong…and a large part that blamed himself.

"Hai." Shikamaru didn't even try and sound grateful. He merely continued on his pace.

_I guess…I guess I'll be seeing you soon, Temari…_

* * *

Sasuke rushed through the trees, his Sharingan blazing. Neji ran alongside him, his Byakugan ever-present. For once, Sasuke didn't object to Neji's presence. If it meant getting close enough to Itachi to kill him…then it didn't matter.

"We're going to save Sakura-chan this time." Naruto stared ahead with conviction. "Believe it…"

"H-Hai." Hinata nodded as she ran with him. They were the rear guards of their four-man squad. "We'll get S-Sakura-chan back…" She closed her eyes for a moment, before reactivating her Byakugan. Her father would never forgive her…not for disobeying the Hokage's orders and abandoning the village…

_Or for falling in love with Naruto-kun…_ Hinata bit her lip. She knew her father would never have approved of Naruto, no matter what he did. He was merely an orphan boy, with no past and no great family name. Just a demon.

_But I won't back down! I will save Sakura-chan if it's the last thing I do!_ Hinata thought bravely. _And he can't stop me from loving Naruto-kun!_

"We're three or four full days behind the Akatsuki, thanks to Shikamaru's dawdling." Neji announced as they stopped for a brief moment to survey their surroundings.

"Hai." Sasuke nodded. "Even traveling at this pace, we can't catch up to them." _Damn you Itachi…_

"Then we'll just have to go faster!" Naruto called out, balling his hands into fists.

"H-Hai." Hinata answered back. "We'll j-just double our p-pace."

Neji watched Hinata curiously. "Hinata-sama, you should not be here."

"Nani?" Hinata whispered.

"You should have gone back with the others."

"I w-wont go! You c-can't make me, Neji-san!" Hinata tried to make herself look imposing, but she knew she was failing to do so. Thank the lord Naruto came to her defense.

"She came because she wants to save Sakura-chan, and that's what we're doing. Don't try and order her around, Neji. We need all the help we can get."

"Hn." Sasuke answered as he stood once more. The others nodded in agreement as they sped off. Neji said nothing more about Hinata's presence.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked after a few more minutes of their newly made pace.

"Hai, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

Hinata remained silent for a moment, before answering back. "…my father will d-disown me f-for disobeying th-the Hokage, even _if_ we're w-welcomed back into K-Konoha—which we p-probably won't be." She answered quickly. "So I g-guess it doesn't matter, I mean, it w-was just a th-thought—it was s-stupid of m-me to be thinking a-about that at the m-moment but…"

"Ne, Hinata-chan." Naruto grinned. "If we're allowed back in Konoha or not, I'll always be there for you. If your father won't let you stay with him, you can come live with me! I'm planning on buying a new, larger apartment anyway."

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata blushed. That would mean…that would mean that they were _living_ together!

Naruto grabbed her hand firmly in his as they ran. Hinata looked at him in surprise.

Naruto gave her a strong, confident half of a smile. "No matter what happens, Hinata-chan. It'll be ok. We'll get Sakura-chan back and we'll all be happy again. Ne?"

"Hai!" Hinata nodded, for once not stuttering in front of him, finding the other half of the smile for him.

_Everything is going to be ok, Hinata-chan…_

* * *

Sakura sat down on the beach with Deidara, wiggling the sand between her toes. She tried to smile, but failed. Smiles were becoming harder and harder to fake. She just didn't seem to have the energy to do it anymore. She looked out across the ocean. Above them stood the cliffs that Deidara's home was situation upon.

So far, Sakura had yet to see anyone besides Deidara and Sasori, whom they had met in the kitchen. Sasori had explained that Zetsu and Tomokazu had gone on another mission for Leader.

Kisame grinned as plopped down next to them. "Hey, kunoichi."

Sakura nodded sullenly at his greeting, not even trying to find a smile for him. It was too hard to think of something worth smiling about. Her entire world was falling down around her. The pillars that had supported it were crumbling.

Temari…one of her inspirations, was one of those pillars, now gone.

Sakura could feel the others begin to slowly crumble, as if they were leaving her there, forgetting about her. It was strange, how in her mind, she felt as if only four of the pillars were still strong and whole. It was confusing, how her mind worked.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, isn't the water pretty, yeah?" Deidara asked, seeing the pained, sorrowful expression that she now continually wore, cross her face. He tried to bring her out of the dark place in which she traveled, but he wasn't able to.

"Watch this, kunoichi." Kisame grinned as he did a few hand seals. He began manipulating the tides, transforming them into dolphins and water dragons, making them dance about.

Sakura watched in wonder, her eyes wide, but still weary and sad. Her lips tilted slightly as she continued to watch.

Deidara looked at Kisame and nodded his thanks. Sakura actually looked somewhat at peace and…happy.

If only it could have stayed that way.

However, Itachi decided to come walking down the shore at that moment.

Sakura immediately realized he was there. Her head snapped around, and the despair and grief in her eyes dimmed compared to the burning hatred, like a candle to a bonfire.

She lunged.

Deidara and Kisame were too slow to react as they saw her rush forward.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura didn't pay any attention to Kisame or Deidara, her whole attention focused on Itachi. He noticed her in mid-lunge, but he couldn't damn well do anything to stop her as they both went down into the water.

Sakura felt the salt sting her eyes as the waves crashed around her. However, the only thing on her mind was a simple thought: kill Itachi. She had her hands around his throat and she tried to press down, but her fingers slipped on his wet skin as she tried to get a good grip.

But her moment of opportunity was gone. She was now under him, pressed into the sand. She choked as brine filled her mouth, along with sand as the waves continued to crash down upon them.

Slowly, very slowly, she felt the building pressure at her throat. Itachi's hands, steady and strong, were crushing down on her windpipe.

Sakura tried to breathe in deeply, but her mouth only filled with seawater. She continued to choke as she reached up with her hand to her hair.

_Must…get…_

She desperately clutched and groped, feeling for the chopsticks. She grabbed one in her hand, just as she felt the last bit of air leave her lungs and she began to black out.

…_for Temari!_

She used all of her strength and slammed the chopstick up. She felt it come in contact with something, but her eyes were burning with the salt in the water and she could barely make out shapes. She saw red mix with the greenish blue of the water before the pressure on her throat ceased.

She let out a gasp for air, choking on the water that clogged her mouth. Suddenly Deidara was there, helping her to sit up as she coughed and heaved, getting all of the water out of her.

She noted that Kisame had grabbed Itachi, hauling him backwards. She also saw her chopstick, jammed into his arm. It had gone completely through, even the bone, and protruded from the other side. _I guess I used my chakra as well, good. If only it had been his skull, dammit._

"Sakura-chan! What were you thinking, yeah?" Deidara asked frantically.

"She wasn't, dammit." Kisame cursed as he looked from Sakura to Itachi.

Itachi continued to stare at her, his Sharingan blazing but his gaze otherwise cool and calm.

Sakura felt tears rush down her cheeks, glad that the water trickling down from her soaked hair hid this. _Dammit…I couldn't do anything…he didn't even flinch…_

"Sakura-chan…" Deidara helped her stand. Sakura rubbed her neck, noting the soreness. A second or so longer…and he would have killed her.

For some reason, Sakura didn't care.

As long as she had taken him down with her.

* * *

Shikamaru jumped to the next tree branch. Kankuro and the Konoha shinobi followed behind him, but he didn't really notice. His was completely unaware of his surroundings as he went from branch to branch.

Damn Sakura…it was all her fault. She'd gotten Temari killed.

_I'll never forgive you Sakura…_

His mind began to wander, as he realized that for some odd reason, his own voice didn't hold the conviction he had wanted it to.

_"Shikamaru?" Sakura opened the door to the Yamanaka Flower shop. "Oh…what are you doing here?"_

"_Waiting for Ino. We're going out for Ramen with Choji. He's apparently done something spectacular and seems to think we should go to Ichiraku to celebrate."_

_Sakura laughed. "That sounds like Choji."_

"_Yeah." Shikamaru shrugged. "You wanna come?"_

"_Oh. No." Sakura shook her head. "I'm heading back to Tsunade-sama's office. Shizune and I are helping her file through missions and assigning teams."_

"_Che." Shikamaru gave a groan. "Just give me a simple mission, ok? Nothing too troublesome."_

_Sakura shook her head with a grin. "I'll try, Shikamaru."_

"_Hey…I wanted to thank you for saving Ino. Are you ok? That healing took a lot out of you." Shikamaru began._

_Sakura nodded. "Tsunade-sama healed me."_

"…_I came in to thank you before, right after Ino had come out of the room." Shikamaru sighed. "Tsunade was standing there cursing about how you'd used your life energy to save Ino. I guess you almost died, ne?"_

_Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. It didn't feel so bad when I fell asleep. I guess it wouldn't have been too horrible."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Oh." Sakura sat down on one of the benches in the shop. "I guess I mean…I wasn't really afraid of dying. I'd known that was a possibility when I began healing her, but…Ino is my best friend. I don't care what happens to me, as long as she's ok."_

"_You mean that?"_

"_Of course. I'd give my life for any of my friends. Tenten, Hinata, Temari…" She shrugged. "They all mean so much to me."_

"_You aren't going to last long as a ninja if you keep healing like that." Shikamaru sighed. "Women, you're all such a drag…" _

Shikamaru almost smiled at the memory. She'd said she'd heal Temari, risk her life for her's if it came to that… For a moment, he was happy, lost in his memories—until another surfaced.

_"Shikamaru-kun, you're such a lazy ass." Temari gave an annoyed sigh as she sat down on the tree trunk next to him. "If you weren't so lazy, we might have been back to Konoha by now, and then I'd have extra time to spend with you before I had to head back to Sand."_

_Shikamaru shrugged. _

"_Oi." Temari rolled her eyes. "We'll probably never get put on a mission alone, again."_

"_Stop being so troublesome…" Shikamaru looked up at the sky. "Man…you can never see the clouds at night…"_

_Temari gave another sigh. "You're such a baka."_

_Shikamaru turned to her with a grin. "We're alone _now_."_

"_And?" Temari raised an eyebrow. "We're in the middle of a forest and I can barely see your face. How romantic is that?"_

_She felt Shikamaru's breath on her neck as he kissed it. "Maybe you don't have to see me."_

"_Well…uh…" Temari began, deciding it would be best to shut up. She turned around, kissing him back heartily as her hands snaked around his neck. _

_Shikamaru played with the small of her back, running his hands along it._

_Temari ran her fingers through his hair. _

"_We haven't been alone…for a long time…" Temari began breathlessly. _

"_Hai…" Shikamaru managed to answer before he began planting kisses down her neck. _

"_Shikamaru…" Temari groaned out as his hands slipped inside of her kimono. "We're…we're…" She didn't speak anymore as she closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of him. _

_She felt his hands tug at her obi, and her own caressed his chest through his mesh top. His breath was near her cleavage line, his tongue tasting the bare skin now visible to him. _

_Temari threw her head back—and then stopped. Well, technically it wasn't her that stopped. It was Shikamaru. He just went still, pulling back from her._

"_What is it, Shikamaru?"_

_She heard him sigh deeply, and mutter something. _

"_What was that?" She felt her anger begin to rise. He had gotten her in the mood and then just _stopped_? Hell no. _

"_It's too troublesome." Shikamaru gave a loud sigh. "After all, we're in the middle of a forest and I can barely see your face. What a drag..."_

"_Oh?" Temari snapped. "Am I so _troublesome_?"_

_Shikamaru gave another loud sigh. "You'd think I would have been able to come up with a better strategy. This one takes too much work."_

"_EXCUSE me?" Temari went for her fan, which was conveniently placed right beside her. _

"_I was going to try and seduce you first, and then ask, but why should I do that when it's so troublesome?"_

"_Nani?" Temari's brows furrowed as she lifted her hand from her fan. _

"_Temari, will you marry me?"_

"_WHAT!?!?!?!"_

"_Che. Women. So troublesome…"_

"_THAT'S what this is all about?"  
_

"_Hai." Shikamaru gave another sigh. "So?"_

"_So what?"_

"_What's your answer?"_

"_What's my ANSWER!? You take me way out here into the forest, try and SEDUCE me, and then say that it was too troublesome to begin with, and at some random spur of the moment, ask me to marry you!?"_

_There was a long moment of silence. _

_Then Temari laughed. "Of course I'll marry you, you baka lazy ass." Her shoulders shook as she tried to contain her laughter. "Only you Shikamaru…only you…"_

_Shikamaru grinned, though it was lost on Temari in the darkness. "I guess my strategy wasn't bad after all."_

_He didn't see her hand come through the shadows and push him facedown into the mud until it was too late. _

Shikamaru felt tears sting his eyes. Temari…she was gone. He'd never be able to pick up where they'd left off that night. Whatever anyone had thought, whatever Temari might have hinted at, they'd never done more than lay in bed together, holding each other close and talking about their future.

Anything else would have taken too much effort.

_I'll never be able to kiss her again_… Shikamaru's eyes hardened and darkened.

_And it's all because of you, Sakura._

* * *

Sakura sat in the kitchen with Sasori and Deidara. Itachi and Kisame, gratefully, had been sent a mission. They'd be gone for a while. Sakura couldn't have been happier.

She sipped her tea, her appetite gone. She hadn't eaten more than a bowl of rice for three days. For some odd reason, she just didn't have the will or strength to do anything. She felt like a puppet, dangling on the strings of some demented puppeteer. He was making her life a living hell and she was going to find him…and she was going to cut those strings.

"Haruno-san, Deidara told me of what happened between you and Itachi-san." Sasori began slowly, his eyes on his tea. "May I ask why you lost your temper?"

Sakura gripped her cup. _Because he killed one of my best friends and it was all my fault! What if I could have somehow gotten out of Deidara's grasp and healed her?_

"Sakura-chan?" Deidara this time.

…_but I was too worried about hurting Deidara. I didn't want to fight him! Why do I have to be so weak? Any other shinobi would have fought Deidara to the death and gone to save Temari. _

Sakura gripped the cup tighter.

_Why have I become so attached to these people? They are murderers and killers and…and yet I can't help liking them. Whatever I do to distance myself from them it doesn't work. They're so…_

She felt the sides of the ceramic cup pressing against her palm as she remembered the sophisticated conversations she had with Sasori, the long nighttime talks she had with Deidara, the laughs she had with Kisame…

…_they're so much like _me

And the cup shattered.

Sakura flinched slightly as the glass cut into her hand and the warm tea mixed with her blood before splashing onto the table and her kimono. She dropped the remnants of the cup to pick up a napkin. "I'm sorry Deidara-san…I ruined your sister's kimono…" She helplessly tried to sop up the mess, but the blood from her hands merely stained the kimono even more.

Soon her tears began mixing with the blood.

"Sakura-chan…" Deidara gripped her hands in his, putting the palms face up. He gave an exasperated sigh as he saw the cuts and began to meticulously pull out the small piece of glass. "That was silly of you, yeah."

Sasori merely continued to watch her. He then spoke, "Deidara-san, go get some bandages from the other room."

Deidara nodded as he left them alone.

Sasori raised on eyebrow, giving Sakura a disappointed look, like a mother scolding her child. "You're being rather immature about this, don't you think?"

"Nani?"

"Death is nothing more than a part of life. We all most go through with it."

"Tell that to Shikamaru!" Sakura snapped out, before she could stop herself. The words began tumbling out of her mouth, even as her mind screamed for her to stop. "He and Temari were going to get married! They were so much in love and Itachi ruined it! Now they'll never…ever…be able to be together. And she is Gaara's sister! When the Kazekage finds out he might end the alliance with Konoha because of this, and then…and then…" Sakura merely pulled a long sliver of glass from her thumb.

"Dammit."

Sasori waited for her to finish. "And you were once an ANBU captain?"

Sakura felt the insult clearly, even if he didn't' mean it that way. Of course, she rather had the inkling he did. "Hai…" She could feel her emotions rushing through her, like a maelstrom she couldn't control.

"And yet you let emotion rule you. No true shinobi does such a thing."

"Well maybe I don't want to BE a shinobi then!" Sakura stood, forgetting about the wounds on her hands as the blood spattered onto the floor and table. "I don't want to BECOME a cold, unfeeling, bastard like Itachi Uchiha!" Then she rushed out of the room.

Deidara walked in at that moment, with the bandages in his hands. "Nani?"

Sasori merely gave a small sigh as he shook his head and continued to drink his tea. _Learn from this, Haruno-san…if you are going to become a member of the Akatsuki like I recommended to Leader, than you must become as unfeeling as the one you hate._

* * *

That night, Sakura didn't get any sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she was besieged with nightmares. It hadn't ended with Temari. No, Itachi had killed them all…and the last one had been Sasuke. She merely curled up on her bed, clenching her eyes shut as she tried to forget.

It didn't help.

She'd never forget.

She stopped her tears before they began, cursing herself for her own weakness. She needed to get a hold of herself. If she was still going to try and escape…then she had to keep her mind clear and focused.

She knew Deidara and Sasori were asleep. Ever since her sudden insomnia, she'd been able to recognize when others were really asleep or not. However, just because they were asleep didn't mean they wouldn't wake up the moment she got out of bed.

Sasori was an especially light sleeper.

She slipped out of bed nonetheless. As soon as her feet touched the floor she knew that both Sasori and Deidara were awake. She padded to the window, but did nothing else except stand there. Soon she felt Deidara and Sasori both fall back asleep.

She wasn't going to try an escape that night anyway…not until she'd made Itachi pay.

She opened the curtains hesitantly, pushing the window open. For once, it was only a small, cool breeze that blew. She was so used to the freezing winter winds that it almost seemed warm to her. It was definitely an upgrade. She looked out at the gardens shrouded in shadow.

She couldn't see a thing, but she merely closed her eyes and imagined what it had looked like during the day. She wanted to fall asleep in the grass and never wake up…to have endless, pleasant dreams until her prince charming kissed her awake.

The first thought that came to mind startled her. _Itachi could kiss _anyone_ awake with _his_ kisses. _

She blinked, frowning. _Who cares how good he kisses? _

…_he probably sold his soul to the devil to learn to kiss like that._

Sakura blushed, but mostly with anger. _Stop it! Stop thinking about him! It doesn't matter what he does, or how good he kisses, because I will never, ever, ever, feel anything for him other than hate._

_Besides…why did I think of him as my prince charming? He's no more than the evil dragon that keeps a princess locked away in her tower. Until her knight in shining armor…her Sasuke-kun…can come save her!_

She brushed away the tears that clung to her lashes and sniffled. _Sasuke-kun will never be able to save me…Itachi is too strong. _

"Musing?"

Sakura's head snapped up as she wheeled around into a fighting stance. She recognized the voice immediately. Her eyes widened as he stood before her, and she began to shake. Even with some of her chakra, she would never be a match for him.

Tomokazu seemed invincible.

And he was sitting on the edge of her bed.

He continued to watch her amusedly with his silver eyes. Like a starved wolf.

Sakura straightened, but she did not relax as she immediately began thinking of a way of escape. She could scream, she could call for—

"Deidara and Sasori won't hear you." Tomokazu answered as if he had read her mind.

Sakura's eyes flashed to the door, then went back to him.

"You can't get out that way either."

"What are you doing here?" Sakura hissed. If there was anyone she hated more than Itachi…it was Tomokazu.

Tomokazu shrugged with a sneer. "This was the only time to see Itachi's sweet cherry blossom without his interference."

"…" Sakura planted one foot closer to the window, noticing Tomokazu's eyes trailing her. Whatever move she made, he would know. _Damn._

"But really, Haruno Sakura…" Tomokazu began, his eyes lit with triumph. "You really shouldn't glare at me so much. I'm holding your ticket out of here."

"Nani?" Sakura asked confusedly, her gaze wary.

Tomokazu gave a wry laugh. "I'll personally take you back to Konoha, if that is what you would like."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. _Something is wrong…something is very wrong! Keep on your guard, Sakura! He's up to something. Best to keep him talking. Sasori and Deidara said Kisame and Itachi would arrive later tonight. Keep him busy._

"What is in it for you?"

"Nothing, actually." Tomokazu shrugged. "However…there is something you would have to do for me first."

"And that is?" Sakura reached backwards for the kunai on the windowsill; the one she had expertly stolen from Deidara earlier that evening. Something caught her hand and she let out a gasp as she realized that Tomokazu was behind her. The bed was empty.

Tomokazu put his lips next to her ear and whispered softly, his breath tickling the hairs on the back of her neck as he caressed them with one hand. "…heal Orochimaru-sama's arms."

Sakura stiffened, before she felt her anger begin to build. "Orochimaru." She spit out the word like a curse. He was the one that had taken Sasuke from her…who had made all of this happen!

"No."

Suddenly Tomokazu twisted her arm. She let out a small gasp of pain, but tried to keep from crying out. Tomokazu's voice was no longer pleasant, "You will heal his arms."

"Even if it means never seeing Konoha again…I won't do it." Sakura gasped out. "If I did, he'd attack Konoha. What would be the point in going back if it was destroyed?"

There was a loud snap as Tomokazu broke her wrist. Sakura let out a small cry as her breath left her for a moment. Then she gave a loud hiss as she rammed her elbow backwards. It met Tomokazu's middle section, but he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. It had been a substitution. A good one, almost like…a shadow clone…

Sakura looked around the room, trying to pinpoint his presence while she pushed the pain to the back of her mind. He seemed to be everywhere.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" He sneered, and his voice seemed to come from all around her. "Are you afraid? You didn't accept my offer, so now I'll take you to Orochimaru by force!"

Sakura jumped backwards, guessing he would attack from the front. Instead, she had to twist around to block his attack from behind her. She crashed into the bed, feeling it snap beneath her, the wood splintering. She immediately did a substitution jutsu, hiding in the shadows as Tomokazu went to inspect her limp clone.

He bent down to look at it, before giving a small smirk.

"Miss me?"

Sakura gasped as she heard his voice behind her and he grabbed her wrists, jostling the broken one painfully. She ignored it as she jumped up, her wrists twisting out of his grasp as she landed on the ground behind him.

Sakura thought fast, biting into her thumb. _I'm sorry about the house, Deidara!_ Then she reached down, "_Kuchiyose no_—"

She stopped, her eyes widening before slowly slipping shut as she fell forward. "…_jutsu_…" Before she landed on the ground, Tomokazu caught her.

Tomokazu gave a malicious grin, making him look very similar to the half-starved wolf Sakura had described him as.

"Orochimaru-sama will be very pleased…"

* * *

Itachi and Kisame walked into the house silently. Kisame gave a loud yawn and muttered something about heading to the kitchen to see if Deidara had anything to drink.

Itachi merely climbed the stairs to his own room. He didn't see how Kisame could drink anymore. They'd gone to a bar before heading back to Deidara's.

Kisame had drunk himself into a complete stupor…and Itachi had taken a few one-too-many drinks as well. To lessen the pain of his wound, of course.

He lifted a hand to his arm with a slight grimace. It had taken a long and painful while to rip the chopstick out of his arm. He could still feel some of the splinters inside, cutting at the raw wound that he had cleaned and wrapped himself.

It was going to get infected soon; he didn't doubt that at all. Even if he kept the wound clean, without a medic-nin's healing ability the wound was one that wouldn't close. Sakura had used a strange sort of jutsu on him that he didn't even think _she_ knew she had done. The injury would never heal, even in time.

Like the hurt you caused her by killing one of her best friends. A side of him began. Itachi shrugged it off. It was the same little voice that had always nagged him before; the only part of him that he knew still had a semblance of humanity. 

The voice that had begged him to not kill his parents and the other members of the Uchiha clan. A pitiful, weak part of him. The part of him that had been a child forced to grow up too quickly, with too much weight upon his shoulders.

He'd silenced it before.

He'd do so again.

Itachi knew the wound would continue to pester him unless he went to a medical shinobi for healing.

And Sakura was the only medical shinobi he trusted to heal the wound correctly.

He knew he'd be waiting a very long time for it to be healed.

Itachi was walking along the hallway, when he noticed the faint chakra outline along two doors. Sasori's and Deidara's. His eyes narrowed as he slid them open, breaking the seal.

At the sound of the door opening, both of them leapt out of bed, weapons in hand. The blinked at Itachi in slight confusion.

Itachi felt something in his stomach plummet as he hurriedly walked towards the one door he had not really been planning on walking inside of that night. He slid it open—and stopped.

Deidara came up beside him and let out a loud curse. "KISAME! SASORI! SAKURA'S GONE!" He even forgot his trademark 'yeah'.

"No." Sasori answered from beside him, looking around the completely ruined room. "…she was kidnapped."

Kisame rushed up the stairs, his Samehada in hand. "NANI?"

They all turned to look at Itachi, his eyes glittering crimson. He disappeared, Deidara and Kisame following quickly after him.

Sasori was the only one who stopped to see the flower fall to the ground in the place Itachi had been standing.

A rose, as red as Itachi's Sharingan.

**(A/N: Yay! Does anyone get the thought behind the rose? Have we all figured out where Tomokazu is from or anything yet? I hope so. Well, this probably isn't going to bode well with Sasuke and the others. And here they were all heading to go save Sakura from the Akatsuki…better luck in Sound! That chapter had a lot of Itachi/Sakura confrontations and only a little bit of everyone else, sorry. But I had to get all of Sakura's angst out and it IS a Sakura and Itachi fanfic…**

**I can't wait till the next chapter. I guess I've really been inspired lately. Two chapters in only a few days, whew!**

**It's your guys' reviews that keep me going, so thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**Happy holidays! Review, review, review:) **


	13. Chapter 12:The Sound of a cherry blossom

**Chapter 12**

**The Sound of a cherry blossom**

Deidara couldn't help but feel a sense of panic as he ran through the trees at top speed. He was Akatsuki. He shouldn't be afraid of anyone. But he was.

Anyone who could sneak into an Akatsuki base unseen was to be feared.

_Sakura…hang in there, yeah. I'm coming to save you._

Kisame looked drunk on his feet. Deidara could see him stumbling even as they ran. _He _is_ drunk on his feet._ Deidara was almost angry at him, for getting intoxicated on the night Sakura was kidnapped. However, it wasn't as if Kisame could have known.

Deidara tried to keep pace with Itachi, but that was almost impossible. He tried to ignore the twinge of jealousy he felt, but it was difficult. Itachi seemed to be able to go for hours on end, as if his stamina and strength were endless…as well as his speed.

But more so than the jealousy of his power, Deidara was jealous of that fact that Itachi held Sakura's heart in his hand. He didn't think even _she_ knew it, but he had seen the way they'd looked at each other on the roof that night. He knew what had been shining in her eyes. And Itachi was using that, the heartless bastard. He had given it all away when he had killed Sakura's friend.

"Who on earth could have kidnapped Sakura-chan, yeah?" Deidara finally voiced, trying to keep his mind busy as he scanned the area. He had to keep his mind off of Sakura…

Sasori appeared beside them, as if he had been a few minutes behind. He nodded at Deidara in greeting, but his eyes seemed to linger curiously on Itachi. He finally spoke, as if he had heard Deidara's question, "Not only did this person kidnap Haruno-san, but they also entered Deidara's home unnoticed and used a silencing jutsu on us."

"But what kind of a silencing jutsu was it, that we didn't even sense it being used, yeah?" Deidara asked. "I don't even _know_ of a silencing jutsu that powerful."

"Someone from Sound would." Itachi's voice traveled back to them on the wind. Cold, emotionless, and deadly.

"But who in Sound would want…?" Kisame trailed off. "THAT BASTARD OROCHIMARU!!!!!!!!"

Deidara flinched. "Don't yell so loud, Kisame-san, unless you want to alert every ANBU in the area. But still…does he believe Sakura-chan can heal his arms, yeah?"

"That would be logical." Sasori spoke, "But we would have sensed Orochimaru's chakra. He is not as skilled as he thinks."

"His laky Kabuto definitely couldn't have snuck in." Kisame grunted.

"Sakura-chan would have been able to fight Kabuto off, yeah."

"Perhaps we are looking into this through the wrong perspective." Sasori began. "We all know we would have sensed Orochimaru, and he does not know any true sound jutsus. Kabuto could not do it either, because Haruno-san is too strong for him."

"Only if she had all her chakra, yeah…" Deidara whispered. "Not after all of Kisame's drainings."

Kisame gave a snarl. "That's my job, Deidara. _Yeah_."

Deidara frowned, deciding to ignore Kisame for the moment. "But couldn't Kabuto have overpowered Sakura-chan in her present state?"

"No." Sasori shook his head. "We would have sensed him easier than Orochimaru. It was someone else…" He rubbed his chest.

Deidara's brows knotted in confusion. "You ok, yeah?"

Sasori looked up at him, and his eyes flashed as realization donned on him. "…Tomokazu."

"Nani?" Kisame and Deidara chorused.

Itachi looked back at Sasori with a curt nod, turning back to survey the territory with slightly angrier eyes.

"But why would Tomokazu, yeah…?" Deidara shook his head for a moment, before glaring. "That bastard tried to kill Sakura-chan before too, yeah. What was it that he said he needed to know?" He posed this at Kisame and Itachi.

"Tomokazu said he wanted to know if the kunoichi could really use the Genesis of Rebirth technique." Kisame stated, then his eyes widened. "…Orochimaru is always looking to master rare jutsus. If he learned that one…"

"And he needs his arms healed." Sasori finished. "Haruno-san is one of the strongest medical shinobi I know of, second only to the Gondaime Hokage Tsunade."

"But why would Tomokazu be working for Orochimaru?" Kisame asked confusedly.

"Perhaps he felt it as a…demonstration of loyalty to his village and Kage." Sasori answered.

"But we don't know Tomokazu's village, yeah." Deidara began. He stopped, letting it all sink in. So…Tomokazu was from the Sound village, was he? It began to make sense now.

"When Tomokazu attacked you, Sasori-san, he used a special jutsu of that village, I believe." Itachi finally spoke, interrupting them.

Sasori nodded slowly. "I believe so as well."

"Perhaps a kekkei genkai?" Kisame raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps, yeah." Deidara nodded. "But that doesn't really matter at the moment. All that matters is getting Sakura-chan back from Orochimaru, yeah."

"So we're heading to Sound then?" Kisame tried to stifle his yawn.

"Hai."

Everyone nodded at Itachi's answer.

Sasori picked up his pace as Itachi ran ahead of them. He knew then, that Itachi had guessed it as well. Perhaps the real reason behind Sakura's abduction was not for Orochimaru's gain, but Tomokazu's.

What better way to goad Itachi Uchiha into a fight, than to take what was his?

* * *

Sakura blinked as she let out a small groan. She tried to sit up, but her ankles and wrist were bound and she was lying on her side. She could barely move. She breathed in deeply as she threw her weight to the side, pitching herself into a sitting position.

She blinked again, opening her eyes as wide as they could go, wondering at the blindness that assailed her. Then she realized that the room she was in was pitch black. There was no light at all. No windows either.

She felt cold damp stone all around her and wondered at that. When she placed her hands on the ground behind her, she felt a thick, sludge-like liquid. The room smelled horribly. Not only was there the rank stench of human feces—which made Sakura shiver in disgust and want to wash her hands off immediately—but the metallic tang of blood hung over her, as thick as fog.

She placed her hand completely on the ground to steady herself and cried out. Her wrist throbbed with pain and she only just remembered it had been broken. By Tomokazu.

Her eyes widened as she realized where she must be. She was in Sound, the home of Orochimaru. The snake's lair.

Her shoulders sagged as her strength left her. Now any hope of escape seemed impossible. As did any hope of rescue. No one would come looking for her now. Even if Sasuke and Naruto and the others found the Akatsuki, they'd never realize she was in Sound.

The door suddenly swung open and Sakura squinted, the bright light hurting her eyes. She felt herself hauled up on her legs and she let out a small cry as it jostled the broken bone in her wrist. She bit her lip and anger and frustration as she was practically dragged into the hall.

She blinked a few times as her eyes began to adjust. The figure holding her was no longer a shadow, but Kabuto. Orochimaru's henchman.

"Good evening, Sakura." Kabuto nodded politely, his emotions and thoughts expertly masked.

"Go to hell, Kabuto." Sakura snapped out before she knew what she was doing. It seemed to her that she was reverting more and more to her old ways, to the way she was before Naruto left to find Sasuke.

"It's very likely." Kabuto let out a dry chuckle. "But it makes no difference to me."

"I won't heal Orochimaru's arms." Sakura began, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. _Dear god, don't make me face Orochimaru again_…She remembered the first time, in the Forest of Death during the Chûnin Exams. The fear…she had been unable to move or even think clearly.

She felt the old fear crawling up her spine and she couldn't dismiss it. She knew that if she didn't fear Itachi, she shouldn't fear Orochimaru, but she couldn't help but let her younger habits win. She couldn't get the picture of him out of her mind: frightening, unbeatable, and bloodthirsty.

And of course, she still feared Itachi, so her comparison and logical reasoning hadn't helped at all.

Kabuto merely untied her legs before he pushed her in front of him, motioning for her to walk. She complied, walking slowly in the direction he wanted. In her mind, she was formulating a plan of escape.

"Once Orochimaru-sama…_talks_ to you, I do not doubt that you will be most enthusiastic to heal his arms." Kabuto chuckled to himself.

They continued walking in silence. Sakura played with the strength of the ropes, but stopped when she noticed Kabuto staring.

"It's futile to try and fight."

Sakura merely began berating him, not liking the dismal silence around them. "So Kabuto, how does it feel to know that your healing abilities are no longer needed or appreciated?"

Kabuto remained silent behind her.

_Good._ Sakura continued. "After all, if I become Orochimaru's healer than he'll kill you, since you are no longer of _use_ to him."

"Shut up." Kabuto snapped, pushing her forward and almost into the large door that stood before them. He placed his hand in front of her and knocked twice.

… "Come in."

Sakura almost froze at the sound as the double doors creaked open. She knew that voice, and it frightened her more than anything. The voice of the monster that had tried to destroy Konoha. Who had killed the Third…

…who had captured Sasuke.

Kabuto pulled her inside before she could protest, and the doors slammed shut behind them.

* * *

When Sakura entered the room, the first person she saw was Orochimaru. It was hard not to do so, since he practically demanded the attention of anyone within sight range of him. However, he didn't look as imposing and powerful as he had before.

No, now there was a small weakness that flitted around him, as if something were continually bothering him, or as if he were in pain. _His arms…_Sakura mused. _Way to go Sarutobi-dono!_

Of course, he still scared the shit out of Sakura.

She didn't look him in the eye as Kabuto pushed her forward. She shifted in her bindings as Orochimaru began speaking.

"Good evening kunoichi…" He gave a dark chuckle, "But really, that isn't the name I should call you by, is it? Now that you have garnered my attention, you deserve to be named truly."

Sakura merely lifted her eyes, her gaze hard. She tried not to let her fear show as she met his cruel, amber gaze.

"They seem darker than before, older." Orochimaru mused. "Your eyes I mean. They're different than the last time I saw you…I believe it was in the Forest of Death. You were such a weak little thing then."

Sakura continued to stand tall and straight, her face an emotionless mask.

"But you have certainly gotten stronger since then, if your reputation follows you correctly…Haruno Sakura."

"Frightened?" Sakura finally managed to bite out. _Dammit, why did the first thing out of my mouth have to be an insult!?_ She tensed, getting ready for the inevitable.

Orochimaru's lip curled and his eyes glittered dangerously, but her merely turned it all into a sickeningly pleasant smile as he answered back. "How amusing you are. Not many shinobi would confront me like you just did. Stronger shinobi than yourself have feared me."

Orochimaru stood out of his chair, walking slowly to where Kabuto and Sakura stood. Sakura tried to hide her shaking as Orochimaru stood right in front of her, so close she could see the sweat on his brow.

"And for good reason. I could kill you as we speak, Haruno Sakura. I could wring your pretty little neck with—"

"Your bare _hands_?" Sakura raised one eyebrow. "Unlikely."

Orochimaru's eyes flashed as he sneered, "Impudent little bitch." He motioned to Kabuto, who slammed his elbow into her back. Sakura fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

Sakura's saliva speckled the ground as she heaved, trying to ignore the pain in her back and lungs—as well as the sharp knife-like throb of her wrist, which she had used to break her fall. Why did she keep insulting him? Did she _have_ a death wish?

"Show Orochimaru-sama proper respect." Kabuto ground out.

Sakura closed her mouth before she spoke out of turn again, _when you become worthy of my respect, then I will show you some._ She slowly stood, using her good arm to pull herself up as she stood shakily.

"Silence, Kabuto." Orochimaru ordered with a feral grin. "I want to see just how troublesome this little cherry blossom is. I'll have to put her in her place soon enough."

Sakura gave a small laugh, "I will never heal your arms, Orochimaru."

"I do believe you will, kunoichi."

Sakura stressed the bonds that held her.

Kabuto gave a small laugh, "Unless you plan on breaking your wrist, you will never get out of that."

What Tomokazu had apparently forgotten to mention was that Sakura's wrist was already broken.

She slipped it out with a small hiss as flipped backwards, grabbing three kunai from

Kabuto's pack, as he stood stunned. She landed on the ground behind them, launching two of them at Kabuto. His clone disappeared.

"Che." Sakura tsked as she make two clones of herself, draining most of the chakra she had regained from the days before with the Akatsuki. Two of them she sent at Kabuto to keep him busy.

She lunged at Orochimaru herself. He watched her come in amusement, his eyes cold.

She glared. _I'll kill you for what you did to Sasuke-kun! You're the whole reason I was ever captured by the Akatsuki…you cold bastard!_ She twirled the third kunai in her hand as she ducked down, twirling her leg to knock his out from under him. He expertly jumped.

"My legs aren't dead, foolish girl." Orochimaru chuckled.

Sakura gave a feral grin as she pulled on the thin strings she had attached to his legs. She gave a loud cry as she spun him around, trying to ignore the searing pain in her wrist, shooting up her arm as she threw Orochimaru into the wall opposite where she stood.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto yelled from where she fought her clones.

Sakura had landed on her knees, but she quickly stood, running at top speed to where Orochimaru was stepping out of the rubble. He didn't even look hurt. Sakura clenched her good hand, collecting chakra into her legs as she ran.

She began the technique that Lee had taught her, like his lotus. She twirled on her bad wrist, clenching her teeth as she kicked upwards. Her heel came in contact with Orochimaru's chin. She heard him let out a snarl as he was shot into the air.

She appeared behind him, getting ready to deliver the final blow. She grabbed the kunai in both hands, pulling them back. Then she slammed the kunai and her fists down into his back.

The ground erupted underneath him and the dust from the crushed stone covered the entire room.

Sakura landed, her legs giving out on her as she did so. She let out a small curse, as well as a tired sigh. She gripped her wrist, pushing a little of her healing chakra into it to dull the pain. She didn't have enough to reset the bone. It had fractured multiple times with all the continual strain she had put on it.

She looked wearily, through her lowered lashes, at the large crater Orochimaru had created with his crash. The rocks began shifting and Sakura's eyes widened as her shoulders began shaking.

No…it wasn't possible. She had severed his spinal chord with her kunai, and the chakra filled hit from her hands would have broken his spine and back in several places! She continued shaking as she realized that he must have been immortal. No human could have survived that.

Orochimaru stood, his gaze bored as he wiped the dust from his shoulder. "Is that the best you can do, Haruno?"

Sakura began breathing heavily—until she keyed in on his hands. He had just lifted one to brush the dirt from his shoulder… Sakura let out a gasp. "You're not Orochimaru! You're…"

And suddenly she began shaking even more.

The smoke cleared as Tomokazu gave a cold laugh, reverting back to his own body. He continued walking towards her, or rather, he sauntered. He stood in front of her, and Sakura merely looked at him, the fear evident and plain in her eyes.

She couldn't even breathe, she was so afraid. It stuck in her lungs and she let out a choked scream as his hand went around her neck as he lifted her up. Her feet skimmed the ground as he continued lifting her. She finally regained some of her strength as she grabbed his arm with both hands, trying to pull his own hand off of her throat.

"I told you before, you will heal my arms, Haruno Sakura." Orochimaru let out an amused cackle from where he leaned against the wall. "Although it was most surprising that you used your broken wrist as an advantage. If Tomokazu had not switched places with me, you might have posed a minimal threat."

Sakura continued to gasp as she dug her nails into Tomokazu's arm. He didn't seem to notice.

"N…ever…" Sakura managed as she spit up a bit of blood. "Go to hell Orochimaru, and take your pet Tomokazu with you."

Suddenly pain erupted everywhere from inside of her as Tomokazu held her. She couldn't help it; no shinobi training could have prepared her for the pain. She began screaming, her hand scrabbling at his arm as she tried to get free.

The pain was unbearable. She didn't even know where it came from. All she knew was that it seemed to come from inside of her somewhere. She continued screaming, feeling her body begin to go limp. Her mind couldn't take the pain; it was trying to force her into unconsciousness. Instead, something strange power was keeping her awake, making her feel everything.

"That is enough, Tomokazu." Orochimaru ordered amusedly.

O

nly the pain didn't stop. Sakura continued screaming, her throat beginning to go raw. She only barely managed to keep herself from begging for it to stop.

"Enough!" Orochimaru's voice was no longer amused.

Sakura was dropped to the ground as she gasped for breath. She landed face first, but the jolt went unnoticed. She heaved, choking and spitting up blood as she tried to take air into her lungs. She inhaled the dust and rancid air of the room, choking on that as well.

She saw someone's sandals in her vision of sight as it began dimming. She heard Orochimaru's voice. "Didn't I tell you, Haruno, that I knew ways of persuading you?"

Sakura merely let out a small whimper of pain. She placed a hand on her stomach, even as she began blacking out, pouring the last amount of her chakra into her. Her liver and kidneys were damaged, four broken ribs, one had almost punctured a lung. Thank god nothing had touched her heart…

"Do you want Tomokazu to persuade you again, or will you heal my arms?"

"No…please…" Sakura gasped out, so soft she didn't know if they could hear. _Dear god, don' t do that to me again…please…_Then she fell unconscious. _…but I will never heal your arms…_

Kabuto knelt down beside her, seeing that she hadn't been able to finish healing herself. He looked up at Tomokazu from the corner of his eye. "Orochimaru-sama needs her alive."

"She's breathing." Tomokazu sneered as he turned to walk away. "Don't talk to me like that again, boy."

Kabuto merely looked down at Sakura's limp form. It reminded him of a dirty, unwanted rag doll.

Orochimaru merely let out an amused laugh as he walked back to his seat and sat down in it. "Take her to Sasuke Uchiha's holding cell. I'm sure she will feel very close to him there."

Kabuto nodded, bowing as he began picking up Sakura's broken body. He left the room, and only when the door was closed did he allow himself to begin shaking.

Never in all his life had he heard something so horrible as Sakura's screams.

* * *

Sasuke landed on the ground, his Sharingan reverting back to his midnight blue eyes. He walked towards the opening of the cave mouth, looking inside. "It's clear."

Hinata, Neji, and Naruto landed on the ground next to him, heading inside.

"We'll sleep for three hours, then head out again." Neji ordered. "Naruto, you take the watch. We'll need the others fully rested until our next sleep."

"Got it!" Naruto nodded as he stayed at the mouth of the cave, where the cool night air would help him stay awake. The others bunked down further in, curling inside of their cloaks.

Hinata felt fatigue rush through her, but she tried not to think of the dismal, short hours of sleep she'd be getting. She tried to pretend it was a long time, a nice long nap, but it wasn't working.

However, she would not be disheartened. She was going to save Sakura-chan! Her eyes closed as she let out a small sigh, letting sleep take her.

Neji blinked a few times, getting rid of his Byakugan as he leaned against the wall of the cave. He would sleep better like that, in those few hours. It also helped him to clear his mind, something he desperately needed to do.

Sasuke huddled down in his cloak, his hard eyes finally forcing themselves shut. He needed to rest…Unlike Naruto and the others; he was not dreading being disbanded from the village, or having ANBU sent for him. It wouldn't be the first time.

Besides, if he could kill Itachi, then it wouldn't matter at all.

It was the only thing he lived for. As long as Itachi was dead, he didn't matter what else happened to him.

* * *

Shikamaru and the other ANBU landed in front of the Kazekage's building. Shikamaru looked up at it, closing his eyes as a wave of grief hit him. He didn't cry. He had no tears left.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Kankuro. He gave a lopsided grin that died early. "Don't worry about it. Gaara will understand. He'll forgive you." He didn't sound too sure of himself. He didn't even try and making his voice sound convincing.

Shikamaru took a deep breath as he opened the doors and walked inside with the others.

_If he kills me, at least I'll be with you, Temari._

When he walked inside, he noticed that it was very quiet. Almost as if everyone were in mourning. Shikamaru guessed they were. No doubt all of the Sand Village was mourning the death of their beloved Temari.

They walked towards the main reception room slowly, everyone's hearts heavy. Kankuro knocked, but when no answer came, he opened the door and walked inside, "Gaara?"

Shikamaru came after him, the others behind them.

Ino, Choji, and Tenten all stood beside the Kazekage's chair, their faces long and saddened. They didn't meet Shikamaru's eyes.

Shikamaru fell to his knees in front of the Kazekage's chair, surprising everyone. They watched in confusion as he touched his head to the ground, breathing in deep breaths as if willing himself not to cry.

"It's all my fault that she's dead, Kazekage-dono. I'm so sorry…please…don't blame anyone else. You can take my life as payment. I will gladly submit to that."

"Shikamaru!" The others all gasped out.

"Look me in the eye if you want to ask for forgiveness." Gaara snapped, his voice cold.

Shikamaru looked up at him.

Gaara continued to stare at him, his voice emotionless and deadly. "I should kill you for letting my sister die."

Shikamaru nodded. "I understand."

Gaara stood and the other's stiffened.

Kankuro walked forward, "Gaara, this really isn't necessary, I mean, it wasn't his fault—" He stopped as Gaara raised a hand.

Shikamaru continued to watch him, prepared for his fate. _I'm coming to meet you, Temari._ The thought was strangely a pleasant one.

"As I said, I should kill you myself for letting my sister die."

"Hai."

"But since she is not dead, I can make an exception."

Shikamaru blinked, believing he hadn't really comprehended the words. He looked up at Gaara, "Nani?"

Ino, Choji, and Tenten all burst into happy, relieved smiles.

Lee, Kiba, Shino, Kakashi, and Kankuro all stared in confusion.

"Oi, Gaara-kun, I think you gave him a heart attack." Came a weak and tired voice from the right.

Shikamaru stared, as a small breeze blew through the window and brushed the bangs out of his eyes like a small caress. Standing in the doorway, was the one person he hadn't thought to see this side of death.

Temari gave a small grin. "Che. Shikamaru, you're so troublesome."

**(A/N: …so? Who was completely surprised? I guess that was the happy part of this section, since the rest of it (and the last two chapters) have been really sad, depressing, or violent. I love the cliffhanger, although I doubt any of you are too happy about it. **

**Who else is wondering what Tomokazu's special jutsu is? It must be pretty powerful…my sister, who has been reading this story as well, has been bugging me nonstop to tell her what is going to happen. (She's also the editor for this, so everyone give her a few thank you's, and she's been supplying ideas for jutsus, hehehe, I think she's trying to guess which one Tomokazu has.) She actually hasn't read this chapter, so you guys are ahead of her!**

**Thank you all so much for reading. It'll probably be a while before the next installment. Mainly because I've used up all of my creative juices for the moment. I'll go eat some chocolate and make it all better…Chocolate makes the world go round (--)**

**P.S. Review please:)**


	14. Chapter 13: The Second Wind

**Chapter 13**

**The Second Wind**

There was a very long moment of silence as everyone just continued to stare at Temari, alive… Of course, then their attention turned from her, to the person helping to prop her up in the doorway.

"Hokage-dono?" The Leaf ANBU called out in surprise.

"Temari…?" Shikamaru whispered, his whole attention focused on her. He had still yet to notice Tsunade or anyone else, for that matter. He took a small step forward, stopping. He was afraid she'd disappear.

Temari gave a small smile, "Hello."

"Temari!" Shikamaru rushed forward, grabbing a hold of her. She let out a small gasp of pain as he clutched her to him. "Temari…you're alive."

"Hai…" Temari gasped out, though tears stung her eyes. "Hai, Shikamaru. Still very much alive." Shikamaru continued to cling to her, his face buried in her neck as tears rushed from his eyes. Apparently he _could_ still cry. He breathed in her scent, reveling in the warmth and feel of her once again. Something he had thought he'd lost.

Shikamaru pulled back from hugging her before capturing her lips with his. When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against hers. They peered into each other's eyes as Shikamaru whispered, "I love you."

Temari smiled, "I love you to, baka." She began to stumble on her legs and Shikamaru immediately picked her up in his arms, cradling her to him. He gave her a lopsided grin. "Che. Women. You're all so troublesome."

Temari grinned back.

"Shikamaru." This was the Hokage. She looked at him sternly. "I do believe I said I wanted all of you here immediately. What is the meaning of this? Where are Neji, Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto?"

Shikamaru blinked, his mind completely in a fog. He still couldn't comprehend anything that had just happened, or even believed that it _had_ happened. Luckily, Kakashi took over.

"All four of them went after Sakura after being ordered back here."

"So they disobeyed my orders." Tsunade gave an annoyed and angered sigh.

"Temari…" Kankuro began, "How on earth…did you survive?"

Temari gave a weak smile as Shikamaru continued to hold her. "It was Sakura-chan."

"Nani?" The group chorused.

Tsunade cut in. "How can I explain this?" She gave a loud sigh as she began pacing, apparently forgetting that four of her strongest shinobi had just left Konoha and become missing-nin. "Well, I suppose it all begins with an explanation as to how Sakura did it. You see Sakura has a special…ability, well not even that really. It's like a blood trait only different. It is no jutsu and it relies solely on healing chakra. If she had not been trained as a medic I don't think she could have pulled it off."

"Tsunade-dono, what are you saying?" Lee asked, not comprehending.

"Well, you see, I noticed it for the first time with her healing of Ino. Ino shouldn't have survived. But she did because Sakura gave her part of her life energy. That time it was her need to save her best friend that did it. You see, for some strange, unknown reason, Sakura has the ability to…give her life energy away."

"How is that possible?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, not necessarily give…" Tsunade shook her head, a confused and irritated look on her face, as if she couldn't quite think of the right words. "It's more like someone's supreme _need_ for healing that draws it out of her. She doesn't really know how to control it, and she can't harness the power. It comes and goes. It won't work all the time and she can barely control when it does or to what extent."

"So…Sakura-chan gave Temari-dono part of her life energy?" Shino concluded.

"Hai." Tsunade nodded. "However, it was only a little bit, just enough to keep her alive until she was delivered here, and I don't believe Sakura even knew she did it. It was such a minimal little thing that Ino didn't even realize Temari was alive until you were all long gone. Then she, Choji, and Tenten rushed Temari here as fast as they could. Luckily I had come here to speak with Gaara-dono and performed the necessary healing that still needed to be done."

Shikamaru stiffened as he continued to hold Temari. _Sakura…you saved her. All this time I've hated you and you're the reason she's alive…_Shikamaru looked down at his hands. _Dear god, what have I done?_ He felt guilt assail him. _If I had known Temari was still alive…I would have pretended we never got the order from Tsunade. I would have kept on going to search for you…_

"So Sakura-san…she saved her?" Shikamaru croaked out from his dry throat.

"Hai."

Hearing those words confirm his thoughts, Shikamaru's stomach plummeted. He didn't say anything, merely stared at the ground. Suddenly a hand tipped his face, and Shikamaru found himself looking into Temari's eyes. She gave him a confident, silent message that told him he needed to do the right thing.

"Well, now that you are all here, we can head back to Konoha." Tsunade began, her voice gruff. "Neji Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Sasuke Uchiha will be named as missing-nin."

"Hokage-sama." Shikamaru began, "Please, don't do that. They were only trying to save Sakura." Temari placed her hand over his and gave it a small squeeze of encouragement.

"But they disobeyed my orders."

"Then Hokage-sama…I'm going to have to disobey your orders as well."

"What?" Temari furrowed her brows at him, "Why?"

"I didn't know that Sakura-san saved Temari's life. I owe her a large debt that I can't repay. I must go save her from the Akatsuki."

Tsunade watched him with hard eyes. They softened slightly as she saw the resolve there. She then turned to Gaara. "Kazekage, I cannot give him a mission. I hired him on to you to order around. Its your call."

Gaara watched him with his emotionless face—and then a small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "I should make you stay here as payment for almost getting my sister killed."

Shikamaru nodded.

"But I'm sending you on a new mission. I want you to go find Sakura Haruno and rescue her from the Akatsuki. You will take Kankuro, Ino, Kiba, and Kakashi."

"Hai." Shikamaru nodded.

"But I want to go!" Lee whined.

Tsunade grumbled, "You're needed here, you baka. Don't be an insubordinate." She then turned to Shikamaru: "If you meet up with that idiot Naruto and the others, take them with you—and give them a few lumps on the head for putting me through this. I'm going against the council in this, and I'll need all of your support when it's over." She gave a loud sigh as she shook her head, "The rest of you are needed here to help compensate for the sand ANBU that were killed by you earlier."

Choji gave a grunt. "Yeah, well they attacked us first. It shouldn't count."

Tsunade resisted the urge to laugh.

_They haven't given up on you, Sakura-chan. Hang in there._

* * *

The first thing Sakura did when she awoke was take in a deep breath. Her whole body still ached, though it was now only a mild soreness. Hot tears slipped from her eyes and slid down the well-known tracks on her dirty face. She was facedown in what looked like another cell. This one, however, was different. When she breathed in, she realized she was not on the cold ground.

The scents that assailed her were merely a musty smell of mold, sweat…and the one scent that Sakura had never thought to smell again. Sasuke. Her hands were not tied together, nor were her feet. She braced herself with her hands, pushing herself up into a sitting position. The bed beneath her creaked on its bedsprings as she looked around, noticing offhandedly that her wrist and the other major injuries she had sustained were no longer present. She supposed she had Kabuto to thank for that.

However, her wounds were the last things on her mind as she looked around the room. Like the cell she had been in before, it mainly consisted of nothing more than four walls, and the only light came from an overhead light, which flickered on and off, giving a gloomy, half hazard sheen to everything instead of actually lighting the room.

The bed took up most of the space, with a small trunk placed at the base. Sakura crawled on the bed over to the edge, grabbing the trunk in her hands and hauling it up onto the blanket. The room was freezing, and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms to get the feeling back into them as she pulled the blanket around herself, breathing in Sasuke's scent.

Then she opened the chest.

Her eyes began welling up with tears once more as she saw what was inside. Sasuke's old shirt, with the Uchiha Clan's sign on the back, along with his kunai pouch and arm bands.

She gave a feeble smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes and picked up the last object in the box. It was a picture frame. She ran her thumb over the right corner of the picture, as she looked it over. It was of Sasuke and his family. His mother and father stood tall and proud, and a young little Sasuke was grinning up at her, his eyes full of hope and dreams and excitement.

Sakura finally realized that someone in the picture was missing. She looked to see that there seemed to be a crease in the picture, as if it had been folded back. She slipped it out of the frame and flipped the corner over.

There stood Itachi.

He was young then, thirteen. And yet he had the eyes of an old man. Ancient and hardened by tough times and horrible deeds. He wore his black outfit and his hair was much like Sasuke's had once been. His eyes were a deep, almost charcoal gray, though they still glinted deep blue. It was a beautiful and mysterious color.

_But it doesn't matter. I don't care how beautiful his eyes are. He killed Temari…_She folded the edge of the paper back, gazing longingly at Sasuke's picture. She pulled his shirt out of the trunk and slipped it over her shoulders, hugging it to herself as the blanket fell to her waist. She gave a small, weak smile as she continued to watch Sasuke's picture, curled up on the bed he used to sleep in, trapped in the same hell he had once been in.

_And you always said we could never be together because we were so different, because I was so weak and you were so strong…_Sakura merely ran her fingers along the edge, tracing Sasuke's face.

_And yet…Orochimaru needs me more than he needs you now, doesn't he? And I am more useful to Itachi than you ever were, even when you must have wished for his attention when you were younger. _

_I have become a strong shinobi, an ANBU captain!_ Her eyes hardened slightly as she gripped the picture in her hands.

…_I became everything you wanted, Sasuke-kun…_

…_I wonder…if you ever find me…_

…

…

…

…_will you love me?_

Silence ensued her question. Of course, she had not expected an answer. The door swung open and Kabuto walked inside. He gave her a cheerful smile as he placed a bowl of rice in front of her.

"Eat up."

Sakura didn't touch it as she rubbed her still slightly sore wrist. "…the Akatsuki will come for me, you know. I'm being used as bait for the Kyuubi. Even Orochimaru cannot stand against the Akatsuki. And I am sure their leader can easily deal with Tomokazu, or Itachi can kill him."_ Can he?_

Kabuto gave a small laugh. "Don't you get it? You were traded to Orochimaru-sama by the Akatsuki. They decided that the gift Orochimaru is going to give them is much more valuable than you or the Kyuubi."

"You mean…?" Sakura whispered, recognition donning. She felt the world's fool. So, Itachi and the others had been using her. They'd merely been housing her there as a bargaining chip!

Suddenly a thought came to mind. "Then why did Tomokazu place a silencing jutsu on Deidara and—"

Kabuto snorted. "That idiot wouldn't have let you go, unlike the others. Tomokazu-san merely kept him away long enough to get you out of there."

Sakura hung her head and whispered, "What is Orochimaru going to give up that is more important than the Kyuubi to the Akatsuki?"

Kabuto gave a grim smile. "If you heal Orochimaru's arms, I am sure he will show it to you."

Sakura merely watched him. "…is Tomokazu here?"

"Even if he is not, that does not mean that you can escape." Kabuto answered flatly. "Your chakra and strength are both completely gone."

"Hai." Sakura snapped. She knew that already.

"I'll come get you in a few hours to heal Orochimaru-sama's arms." Kabuto walked to the door, opening it as he began heading outside.

"And to think, I once valued you as a friend." Sakura spat.

Kabuto hesitated at the door, before answering back coldly. "My life is more valuable to me than friends." Then he shut the door. The movement rocked the light, and it finally flickered off for good.

Sakura sat there, in complete darkness, holding Sasuke's picture to her heart and wishing and praying that he would somehow find her.

* * *

"How far into Stone do you think this Deidara guy's house is?" Naruto asked as he, Hinata, Neji, and Sasuke continued to zip through the trees. He frowned at the lack of response, but decided that the others were trying to keep their energy for running.

Getting to Sakura-chan was the most important thing in the world at that moment.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata ventured softly, seeing his gaze darken and turn frustrated.

"Hai?"

"…There's something I n-need to t-tell you." Hinata began, fiddling with her fingers even as they continued running. "I m-mean since we're…we're…" _Together now._ She couldn't get herself to say those words. "Um…well, acquainted w-with each other I…I th-thought that maybe…we c-could just…t-talk a little…"

She saw Naruto shoot her a quizzical look and she blushed a deep red.

"N-Never mind."

Naruto grinned at her. "Ne, Hinata-chan, of course we can talk. We're talking right now."

"Oh." Hinata nodded. "R-right."

Sasuke looked back at them, pretending like he hadn't heard the whole conversation. _Naruto, you're an oblivious idiot, like always._ He rolled his eyes and only just managed to keep from sighing in annoyance like he used to do when they were younger.

Neji merely cleared his throat loudly. "Uzumaki, you guard our rear."

"Hai." Naruto nodded. "Got it." He fell back behind them about ten feet to do as he was told.

"N-Neji-san?" Hinata began, wondering if she was going a bit too far as she spoke. She didn't even wait for a response, because she knew she probably wouldn't get one. And she also knew that if she waited any longer she'd lose all the courage she had been gathering to herself. "D-Do you like S-Sakura-chan?"

"I do not believe that is any of your business, Lady Hinata."

"R-Right."

"I think that was a reasonable question." Sasuke began casually. "Why don't you answer it for us? It can't hurt." _Sakura is mine, Hyuga. Back off._ He waited for an answer, scanning Neji's face with his own eyes.

"You wish to know what I think?" Neji began slowly, turning to look back at him. "…"

Hinata and Sasuke both looked up at him, waiting for his answer expectantly.

…

…

…

"I think Uchiha should get to the front and scout ahead." Neji answered snippily. "And Lady Hinata, you go behind myself, to see if you can see anything that I miss."

"H-Hai." Hinata blushed.

Sasuke snorted as he jumped ahead of them, disappearing into the distance.

Hinata and Neji continued running, the silence stretching.

Hinata knew better than to say anything. Sakura was a touchy subject where her cousin was concerned. Hinata had already known the answer to the question she had asked. She had merely wanted to see how Neji would react.

_Hinata walked down the hallway of the main house in the Hyuga compound, slipping open the door to the training area. She stepped outside in her training outfit, but stopped when she saw who was there. _

_Neji and her father, Hiashi, were training even more rigorously than they had before. Both of them were breathing deeply, their shoulders heaving. Hinata shouldered her small training pack further onto her shoulder, afraid to catch their attention and distract either one of them. _

_Suddenly Hinata looked outside of the compound to see a familiar pink-haired kunoichi begin to walk across the street to where Hinata was. She jumped off of the porch with a small smile as she began walking across the edge of the training circle. "Sakura-chan!"_

_The moment he heard her name, Hinata saw Neji turn to look, his face expectant. _

_Hiashi took the moment of distraction and slammed one of Neji's Tenketsu points, sending him across the compound. He immediately got up, rubbing his sore shoulder as he looked around quickly to see if Sakura had seen him fall._

"_You shouldn't let things distract you, Neji." Hiashi began lecturing. _

_It was at this time that Sakura actually entered the compound. _

_Hiashi gave a small smile, his eyes shining with curiosity as he continued, "Even a beautiful woman."_

_Hinata swore that she saw Neji blush, but it was gone in a second, before anyone else seemed to notice it. She looked to see Sakura raising an eyebrow in confusion. She got over it, however, as she bowed respectively to Hiashi. _

"_Hiashi-san. Hinata-chan and I are going to be out training today, if that is alright."_

"_It is fine." Hiashi nodded, calling after Hinata as she and Sakura left the compound. "Do not burden Sakura-san, Hinata-chan."_

_Hinata blushed deeply as Sakura merely gave her an encouraging smile and they left. Hinata felt Neji's Byakugan watching them as they heading down the street. _

* * *

Tsunade began surveying the Sand shinobi with Gaara, who was helping Temari walk around. Tsunade found it rather cute, to see the Kazekage helping around his older sister around as if she were a little girl.

The shinobi they passed bowed respectively with a 'Kazekage-dono, Hokage-dono, Temari-dono.' The other Leaf shinobi who had stayed with Tsunade and would be helping Gaara after her departure followed behind them, watching the Sand Jônin who were training with fascination.

"Hokage-dono!"

Tsunade turned to see Hiashi walking towards her, his pupil-less eyes blazing angrily. She was a bit taken aback as he confronted her.

"Is what I have heard indeed true?"

"Nani?"

"Have both Neji and Hinata-chan left the village to become missing-nin?"

Tsunade gave a weak smile. "They aren't classified as missing-nin, Hiashi-san. Do not worry."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed slightly. "But they did indeed disobey your orders, did they not?"

"Well, yes but—"

"I see." Hiashi nodded to her stiffly. "I guess it was correct in my assuming that Hanabi-chan would be a better heir for the Main Branch than Hinata-chan."

"Now wait a moment," Shino began, eyes narrowed. He had heard the conversation. "Hinata would uphold the Hyuga Clan name honorably."

"Hai." Lee grinned, "Hinata-chan is a wonderful shinobi and very strong! She would honor the Hyuga name." He then turned his attention back to the Sand shinobi. He twitched as if wanting to rush down and join them. "And Neji is one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha!"

Choji continued to munch on a bag of potato chips. "Yeah…" He swallowed as he grabbed another handful.

"I do not believe your input was asked for." Hiashi answered coldly.

"You aren't thinking of disowning her or Neji are you, Hiashi-san?" Tsunade raised one eyebrow in challenge.

"It is my right to do so, as the head of the Main Branch of the Hyuga Clan."

"She's your daughter, and he's your nephew!" Lee sputtered.

"You can't disown Neji!" Tenten cried out. She tried to silence herself, but she felt all her pent up emotions begin to surface again. Even after what he had done to her, after her betrayal…she still loved him.

Hiashi merely stared at them coldly, before turning back to Tsunade. "I am heading back to Konoha as you ordered."

"Hai." Tsunade nodded. "You have my leave to go. I shall be back in Konoha in a few days."

"Very well, Hokage-dono."

He walked out of the room without another word.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes wearily a few hours or so after Kabuto's departure. She breathed in Sasuke's scent once more, giving a tiny, contented smile. A moment of happiness, disappearing in an instant as she looked around her prison cell.

She knew Kabuto would be coming for her soon. He would take her back to Tomokazu if she didn't agree to heal Orochimaru's arms.

_Dear god no! Please no. Nononononononono…_

Sakura clenched her eyes shut as she tried to forget about the pain Tomokazu had caused. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were trembling uncontrollably. There would be no relief for her, not from that pain. He could make it last forever. It was worse than the Mangekou. She didn't know how or why, but she would rather face an eternity of the Mangekou than whatever Tomokazu had done to her.

_Not that, anything but that. Please no…_

She stared into the pitch-blackness, and an evil demon began taunting her, forcing its evil thoughts into her head, where they squirmed around, trying to force her into action.

_Just heal his arms then. It will stop the pain. You'll be free of the pain if you heal him._

"No!" Sakura whispered fervently to herself. "I'll never heal his arms. I'd become a traitor to Konoha, a traitor to everything I believe in as a shinobi…"

_But you'd never have to deal with the pain._

"Everyone would hate me." Sakura tried to convince herself, shaking her head furiously. "I'd hate myself. I'd never do that. I'd rather die than betray Konoha."

_That can be arranged._

_After all, if you died, it's not like anyone would care._

_It's not as if you matter to anyone._

_You'd just be helping those ANBU by getting yourself killed. Then they wouldn't have to search for you any longer. _

_Then they wouldn't have to waste their time with you._

Sakura flinched, closing her eyes in despair. When Kabuto came for her, she'd just fight him! She'd fight him and escape and…She gave a small sigh. She'd never be able to escape from Sound. Even if she could defeat Kabuto—which was close to impossible in her condition—than she'd still have to deal with the entire Sound village…and Tomokazu.

She rather thought she'd prefer the army of sound shinobi.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open. At the moment her card hand was completely useless, but she had a card hidden in her sleeve. If she used it, well, she'd at least end with a pair.

Sakura bit her lip as she breathed in deeply, trying to force her mind into acceptance.

_The sacrifice of a shinobi's life for their village is a great honor._ She mouthed the words to herself, trying to make them real and tangible. _To die in order to protect their village is what all shinobi live for. It's their duty and job._

_That's why Tsunade-sensei taught me this jutsu. To protect the people I love._

_To protect Konoha._

She gave a feeble, if not shaky, smile of triumph as she thought of the look on Orochimaru's face. Wouldn't he be surprised when he saw that he hadn't won? To see that after all he and Tomokazu had done, he'd still failed. His arms would still be dead.

She wondered fleetingly if she was really just taking the easy way out. Dealing with all the pain of Tomokazu's jutsu would make her strong.

Sakura didn't care; she wanted to be selfish for once. She was weak and pathetic. She'd known that all along. As along as she accepted it, she'd have no regrets.

"I know I said that I was stronger now, Sasuke-kun, but I guess I was just fooling myself." Sakura whispered, pulling his picture out, even though she couldn't see it in the dark. She rubbed the corner of it with her thumb.

"I'm afraid of Tomokazu. I know I shouldn't be, shinobi shouldn't be afraid, but I am. Dear god every time I think about what he did to me I start shaking. I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, I have to do this." She wondered why on earth she was confessing everything to him.

She placed the picture inside of her shirt, next to her heart.

"I'm so sorry for everything, to everyone. All I've done is hurt people. Maybe if I were dead…maybe it would fix everything…" Sakura whispered, as she began the first hand sign.

She could feel the small amount of chakra stirring inside of her. It was wonderful, the fact that the suicide jutsu took close to no chakra at all. It made it easier to use, when everything else went wrong.

"Ino, Tenten, Hinata, I'll miss you guys. You were my best friends…" Sakura began, feeling tears well in her eyes as she finished the second sign. She began to feel the effects begin. Her body was going cold, as if she had just opened a window on a cold night. It hit her face and she let out a small sigh of relief.

"Choji, Shino, Kiba, Lee. I don't know why, but you guys stuck with me all the time. You believed in me and trusted in my abilities when I doubted myself. Thanks."

The cold was slowly washing through her.

"Tsunade-sensei, when everyone else said I was weak, when I hated myself because of it, you brought me hope. You taught me to become a medical shinobi, and I'll never forget that."

A sudden fatigue was also taking over as she finished the third hand sign slowly.

"Sasori, Kisame, you guys made staying at the Akatsuki actually bearable." She blinked, her lids becoming heavy.

"Kakashi-sensei, you taught me so much. I'll never forget the bell test." She let out a tired laugh as she urged her tired hands into the fourth hand sign.

"Shikamaru…I'm so sorry. Even if you hate me, you were a great friend. I don't blame you. I only wish I could bring Temari back."

She tried to open her mouth to continue speaking, but she realized that it took too much energy to do so. Her lips felt numb and cold.

_Naruto, you big idiot. You were one of the first people who accepted me for who I was. I loved you for it, you know. _

She closed her eyes completely, taking in smaller, slower breaths.

_Neji, Deidara, I know that you felt more for me than I did you, and I'm sorry I couldn't love you._

She finished the fourth hand sign, beginning the fifth.

_Mother, father, don't cry. I've always loved you, and without you I never would have had the strength to become a shinobi in the first place._

The bones in her hand seemed to stiffen and the joints ached. She merely furrowed her brow as she forced herself to continue. After finishing the fifth hand sign she stopped for a moment, eyes filling with tears.

Suddenly the swirling red of the Mangekou flashed into her mind. She gave a small smile as the tears rushed down her cheeks.

_The time he had given her the bed, the first kind thing she'd ever seen him do._

She felt her body begin to manually shut itself down. It was becoming harder and harder to think.

_The feel of his hand as he traced her jaw, when she'd told him she'd heal his eyes on the roof._

Her shoulders sagged and her arms ached. She wanted to go to sleep.

…_His lips on hers as they kissed. Even then she'd known it was wrong, but she hadn't stopped him._

As she felt herself begin to fade away, her last few thoughts were pleasant ones.

How could something so wrong feel so right?

…_Itachi…_

…

…

…

…_I'm sorry._

She blinked back the last few tears as she forced her hands to begin the final hand sign.

**(A/N: Not really much to say, is there? Wow, just after the wonderful reunion between Temari and Shikamaru, everything gets depressing again. That's life I guess. **

**And I think the chocolate really helped. After all, I got this chapter to you pretty quick. (Big smile) I'm enjoying this immensely. Even I don't know how each little individual scene is going to turn out, so it's fun to twist the ideas to fit with the main theme. **

**Isn't it cute that Itachi is the last thing she thought of? I know you are all probably cursing and hating me right now for that cliffhanger and want to come to my house to beat the next chapter out of me (so does my sister) but I guess everyone will just have to wait a _little_ bit longer. But poor Sakura! She thinks that the Akatsuki traded her to Orochimaru willingly. Tsk. Tsk. Tomokazu is such a meany. **

**Not much.**

**I hope you're enjoying it!**

**Review, review, review!**

**P.S. Happy New Year! (Maybe I'll write the next chapter as a New Year's present. It'll probably be extra long, just because I love you guys and appreciate all of your reviews and I really, really, REALLY appreciate the fact that you guys like my story so much.)**


	15. Chapter 14: The Scroll

**Chapter 14**

**The Scroll**

Kabuto opened the door to Sakura's room with an agitated sigh. He really didn't like being used as a messenger boy, or a laky. However, he was not about to tell Orochimaru that.

Still, he hated Tomokazu for taking away the position of second in command. The position that Kabuto had once held. He merely snorted in derision as he walked into the room with a sigh, "It is time to heal Orochimaru-sama's arms, Sakura-san."

He looked up suddenly, eyes wide as he saw Sakura sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands making ready to form a hand seal he did not recognize. However, he felt the killing chakra all around her, and he could tell that her body was shutting down.

"Sakura-san!" He rushed forward, grabbing her hands and forcing them apart so she couldn't finish the last sign.

Sakura, who had looked as if she were in a trance, merely let out a small sigh. Her half lidded eyes shot open, realization donning as she looked up at Kabuto.

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Kabuto was breathing heavily. She'd almost died. If he had walked in a second later she would have been dead. And Orochimaru would have wanted compensation.

"Let go of me you bastard!" Sakura spat out, struggling weakly in his grasp.

Kabuto could feel that her body was weakened internally. He shoved his healing chakra inside of her forcefully with a frown.

Sakura let out a small gasp of pain as she felt his chakra enter her. She growled, trying to muster her own chakra to stop him. If he didn't heal her in time, maybe she would still die.

"You should have let me finish my justu." Sakura whispered vehemently as she jerked her arms, trying to get out of his grasp.

Kabuto gave a loud sigh, "Sakura-san, it would have been very disappointing if you have killed yourself. I still do not understand what could have caused you to do such a thing."

"What do you mean, you idiot?"

"You never seemed like the one with enough courage to kill yourself."

Sakura let out a small, dry laugh. "Some of us aren't spineless jellyfish like yourself, Kabuto. My life wasn't worth the destruction of Konoha."

"You're such a fool." Kabuto smirked, "To want to save that stupid village." He continued pouring his chakra into her until the major injuries were healed.

Sakura gave a small groan of frustration as she realized she was healed for the most part. Damn Kabuto. "You're the idiot. After all, Orochimaru is just going to get rid of you."

Kabuto leaned in close to her ear with a sneer. "At least I'll have you to keep me company, ne?"

Sakura glared at him from the corner of her eyes, hatred glowing in their emerald depths. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands. I suggest you let go. Now."

"Or what, Sakura-san?" Kabuto laughed. "Are you going to kill me?"  
Sakura merely stared at him impassively, before reaching down and grabbing something. Kabuto saw the flash of metal and snapped himself into action.

He grabbed the medical knife mere centimeters from Sakura's throat. He stared at her in shock as she continued to try and wrestle the knife from him.

"Are you mad?"

Sakura gave a grim smile. "Why would I need to kill you, Kabuto, when I could kill myself? Orochimaru would deal with you sooner or later. And I'm sure it would be much more painful that way." Her smile grew a bit more. "Or perhaps he would let Tomokazu do it."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed as he jerked the knife out of her hands and placed it into his pack. "Come on, Orochimaru-sama is waiting." He grabbed her arm, pulling her off of the bed and propelling her towards the door.

He opened the door, pushed her out, and then slammed it shut behind himself as he continued guiding her down the hallway. He wiped the small amount of sweat from his brow.

He would have to watch this one. She was tricky and intelligent, and she didn't fear death. She'd made that quite clear after two attempted suicides. Unlike that idiot Sasuke Uchiha, she didn't care about her own life. She would rather die than do anything for Orochimaru. Sasuke had been too overwhelmed by his revenge over his brother Itachi. He hadn't been thinking completely clearly.

But Sakura Haruno…well, she was an ANBU captain of Konoha now. She seemed to know every trick in the book, and knew quite a few jutsus that Kabuto hadn't heard of. Like the one she had almost killed herself with. He'd have to ask her about it sometime. Not like she'd tell him anyway.

Still, Kabuto placed one hand on his weapons pouch as he led Sakura to the door to Orochimaru's private chambers. The sound Shinobi at the door opened it for them hurriedly, nodding in silent recognition at Kabuto.

* * *

"How much further do we have to go, yeah?" Deidara asked. "Surely we're almost to sound."

"Che. All this damn forest looks the same." Kisame grunted, swatting a branch out of his face. It snapped off completely, falling to the ground with a clatter. He merely shrugged it off as the others looked at him.

Suddenly a figure appeared beside them. Zetsu.

"What's going on? Where's Tomokazu-san?" Zetsu began calmly. Then he began in his other voice, "Where is that damn idiot?"

Kisame rolled his eyes. "He just damn well ran away with the kunoichi and gave her over to the Sound Village."

"Nani?"

"Tomokazu is working for Orochimaru, who is his leader." Sasori explained. "It seems Tomokazu did not leave his village like we believed."

Zetsu gave a loud sigh. "I have to tell Leader about this."

"We're heading to get Sakura-chan back from Sound, yeah." Deidara announced, stepping forward to get ready to head out again.

Zetsu shook his head with a small sigh. "I have a mission for you Deidara-san, along with Sasori-san."

"You've got to be joking, yeah. I have to go get back Sakura-chan." Deidara began helplessly.

"Come, Deidara." Sasori ordered as he gave a small sigh. "Kisame-san and Itachi-san shall get Haruno-san back and will bring her back to your home in Stone."

"But Sasori, yeah—"

"Let's go." Sasori's voice was etched with finality.

Deidara opened his mouth as if he was about to argue again, but he closed it with a curt nod. "Hai. Let's go, yeah."

Zetsu nodded as he disappeared, Sasori immediately behind him. Deidara looked back at Itachi and Kisame for a moment, his gaze worried. Kisame merely caught his eye and grinned with a nod that said Sakura would be waiting for him when he returned to his home. In Itachi's eyes, the story was different. A small flash, a small little promise of sorts.

A truce between them for the moment.

As long as they got Sakura back in the process, they could work together.

The look in Itachi's eyes may have been small and subtler, but it heartened Deidara more than Kisame's grin. It was a promise, a promise to get back Sakura no matter what.

Deidara wondered if Itachi himself knew he'd made the promise.

* * *

Kabuto saw Sakura stiffen as she saw Orochimaru sitting in a chair by a desk. Kabuto heard the door creak shut behind them. He also noticed that Sakura's eyes traveled across the room, as if looking for any potential threats or escape routes.

She wouldn't find any.

"Haruno." Orochimaru greeted cynically with a sneer. "It's good to see you."

Sakura glared at him. "Take your greeting and shove it up your ass."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. Kabuto spoke.

"Sakura-san is trying to goad someone into killing her, for some strange reason. She has already attempted suicide twice, Orochimaru-sama."

"Ah." Orochimaru's smile widened. "What a wonderful try, Haruno. Please, sit." He motioned with his eyes to the chair sitting across from him. Kabuto forcefully pushed Sakura into the chair.

Sakura continued to watch him with narrowed eyes.

"Now then, perhaps you would like to heal my arms now, Haruno."

"No."

Orochimaru gave an impatient sigh. "Perhaps you would like it if I called for Tomokazu." He saw her stiffen, and he also noticed the slight tremor that ran through her body. His grin grew. "So that's why you're trying to kill yourself, Haruno."

Sakura looked up at him, thoughts well guarded.

"You're afraid of Tomokazu."

Sakura's eyes flashed but she did nothing else to show she had even heard him.

"If you don't want me to call him, then begin." Orochimaru ordered as he motioned to his arms.

Sakura stared at them from across the table. Her eyes flickered from one arm to the other. _I'll never heal him. But please…don't bring in Tomokazu! Please oh no oh no I can't stand the pain…_

Sakura blinked, trying to calm herself. She needed to think…she needed to bide herself time to find a way out of Sound. Or a way to kill herself.

"…very well." Sakura whispered hesitantly, not meeting his eyes. "I shall look at your arms." She pretended to look ashamed at herself for making the decision.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Good, good. You may begin."

Sakura lifted her hands and they began glowing with her healing chakra. Kabuto grabbed her wrist and made her look up at him.

"If you try and kill him, I will know. I can sense killing chakra."

Sakura merely wrenched her hand from his grasp and continued to place her miniscule amount of chakra into her palms. She then gave a small sigh as she bit her lips and placed her hands hesitantly on his arms.

She let out a small gasp as she looked inside of them. Dead, everything. Muscle, bone, skin, no blood circulation. It was as if he were carrying around two dead weights. She didn't try to do anything, merely looked at them, assessing the situation.

She began talking, making it look like she was trying to concentrate. "May I ask, what it is that you are giving the Akatsuki for me?"

Orochimaru gave a small laugh. "A scroll."

Sakura looked up suddenly. "Nani? A scroll?" _His arms are only worth a small scroll? It must be important._

Orochimaru licked his lips, "Kabuto. Show Haruno the scroll." Kabuto opened his mouth to protest but Orochimaru silenced him. "Enough. It does not matter if she sees it or not. Besides, it would only be polite." He finished with another awful smile.

"Yes Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto nodded as he walked towards the bookshelf on the other side of the room. He picked up the small wooden chest on one shelf and brought it back over to them.

He placed it upon the table and opened the lid slowly, pulling out a red and black scroll. The label was blank.

Sakura's curiosity peaked as he rolled it open—and then showed it to her. She blinked as she zoomed in on the picture in the middle of the page. It was a picture of the human eye, with different scribbles and smaller in-depth diagrams surrounding it. At the top of the page, was the emblem of the Uchiha Clan.

Sakura looked up at Orochimaru and Kabuto in confusion.

Orochimaru chuckled. "I'm not surprised you look confused, Haruno. It is unreadable. I have no idea what it says. But for some reason the…Akatsuki wish to obtain this scroll. Perhaps they have the means of deciphering it." The way he spoke showed that he thought it was unlikely.

Sakura merely reverted her eyes as she looked down at Orochimaru's hands. She glimpsed once more at the first few lines on the scroll before looking back at his arms. She heard Kabuto roll the scroll back up and then place it back on the shelf.

"No one can read it?"

"No."

"I see." Sakura gave a small, weak laugh. "It could merely be a recipe written in a strange language. Won't the Akatsuki feel foolish if that is what it turns out to be? They would have traded the bait of the Kyuubi for a cookbook."

"That would be most unfortunate." Orochimaru smiled cruelly as well, nodding at Kabuto. She felt Kabuto grab her arm.

"You will continue healing my arms tomorrow."

Sakura shot him a confused, sideways glance, but otherwise tried to hide her surprise. Tomorrow? Still, that would help her to bide time, so she was not about to ruin the opportunity. She almost opened her mouth to ask why when he seemed to realize what she was thinking.

Kabuto seemed just as surprised. "Are you sure you do not want her to heal your arms now, Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Are you questioning me? She has no chakra left. She isn't good to me without her healing chakra."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto nodded. "My mistake." He didn't seem too excited about the idea of having to watch Sakura for another night. He merely wrapped his fingers around her arm, motioning to her that it was time to go.

To Sakura, Kabuto's grip was as strong as iron. Either he had always had this strong hold on people, or he just didn't like her. Sakura didn't really care about that at the moment, however, nor did she dwell on it.

Sakura stood and walked out of the room with Kabuto, contemplating. Orochimaru had said the scroll was impossible to read, that the code with indecipherable.

He was wrong.

Sakura had read the first few lines clearly. It was strange, the fact that the Hokage of Konoha had passed down a special code for all their most important and secret pieces of information. It was also ironic that Tsunade had taught Sakura this code to help her file papers.

If Orochimaru had known what the scroll had said, he wouldn't have given it away for anything.

* * *

Temari sighed as she slowly lowered herself down into a seat. The mild soreness in her chest was easing more with each passing day. She rubbed the small puncture wound thoughtfully. She'd have a scar there her entire life. Her eyes misted slightly as she gave a shaky smile. _Thanks Sakura-chan…thank you for everything. _

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she turned to look at Gaara, who was sitting next to her. "Gaara-kun?"

"Hai?" Gaara turned to look at her.

"…would you have really killed Shikamaru-kun if I'd died?"

…

"…"

…

"Gaara!" Temari let out a laugh, though it died kind of early as she saw the look on his face. _Dear god! He really would have killed him!_ She looked up at the sky with a small sigh. _Thank god for Sakura-chan!_

She turned to watch the little academy student children who were dutifully listening to Rock Lee tell the story of one of his missions. He was apparently telling an action-packed account of a fight, since he was doling out punches and kicks to an invisible opponent.

The children watched him in awe, their faces glowing with anticipation.

"And there I was, surrounded by fifteen opponents!" Lee continued dramatically. "Shino and Choji were both unconscious, which left only me to save the day—"

"Ahem." Tenten grunted. "I do believe _I_ was there as well."

"Oh."

Shino gave a small sigh. "And I wasn't unconscious. My legs were paralyzed, but I was still able to kill three of them."

"Really?" One of the children gasped out. "Even without being able to move?"

"Hai."

There was a collected murmur of awe.

"And _I_ got five of them, Lee." Tenten countered.

Lee pouted. "Fine. But that still left me outnumbered with seven opponents, since Choji was unconscious!"

Choji gave a sigh as he ate some potato chips. "Only because I used all of my chakra and strength to break through five chakra barriers."

"FIVE?" The children called out. "WOW!"

"Yes but—" Lee tried to continue.

"I want to be a kunoichi like Tenten-san!" One of the girls squealed.

"Hai! She and Temari-dono are the strongest kunoichi in the world!" Another agreed.

"I want to be strong like Choji-san!"

"I want to be smart like Shino-san!"

Lee began sulking as his shoulders drooped.

A little child stood up and grinned triumphantly. "Well I want to use the lotus like Lee-san since I can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu either!"

Lee glowed as he clapped the bow on the back. "Then I shall begin teaching you the lotus, like my magnificent Gai-sensei taught me—"

Tenten gave a sigh of exasperation, "Get a grip on yourself Lee. They're only academy students. Besides, YOU'RE not going to become their sensei."

Lee and the little boy both pouted.

Temari turned to look at Gaara once again, seeing him watch the little children happily.

"I was thinking of something, Gaara-kun."

"Hn?"

Temari leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment. She was still extremely tired. "Wouldn't it be a wonderful idea…to interchange the students here and in Konoha?"

"Nani?"

"Like sending some of their students here to be trained by senseis, and some of our little ones to Konoha. It would help our lasting peace. I know the rule about how we're not supposed to give our special secrets of our village and all that, but isn't it about time we stop being so secretive and start working on our long-lasting friendship with Konoha?" Temari turned to see Gaara watching her closely. "It's not as if we would be giving them our special forbidden jutsus or anything. But…wouldn't it help them, just a little bit, to learn about the different villages?"

"We'd have to house them somewhere." Gaara answered back.

"We could always build a special housing building for the visiting shinobi children." Temari answered back quickly. She was surprised Gaara was actually talking at all about the idea. It was a good sign.

"What made you think of this idea, Temari-chan?"

Temari gave a small smile as she leaned her chin on her hands. "The medical shinobi of our village are nothing compared to Konoha. If we had more people like the Hokage-dono and…and Sakura-chan, then I think, I think we'd be a lot better off."

"That's not the only reason."

"Well, Shikamaru is going to see if he can become a Jônin sensei and there are a few little ones here who already love him from his visits whom I think he'd be a great sensei for." Temari grinned wickedly.

"I thought so."

Temari waited expectantly.

…

…

…

… "I'll have to speak with the Hokage-dono."

Temari grinned.

* * *

Sakura gave a loud sigh, wearily opening her eyes. She shifted on the uncomfortable stone floor, trying to keep her legs from falling asleep. It was very hard to do, however, with her arms chained to the wall behind her.

It seemed that Orochimaru and Kabuto had both agree it would be better if she couldn't use her hands jutsus at all. So here she was, chained against a stone wall in an even dirtier cell than before.

And her nose was starting to itch.

She had been pondering the contents of the scroll. She wondered if the Akatsuki really could read it. If they could, well, they would soon become the most powerful shinobi in the world.

If what the scroll said was true, of course.

But Sakura highly doubted that the Akatsuki would really be seeing the scroll. She'd been going over and over her abduction and the conversations she had with Kabuto and Orochimaru. The scroll wasn't for the Akatsuki.

It was for Tomokazu.

And for some reason, that frightened her even more. She would have continued brooding if she hadn't heard the door creak open slowly.

Sakura blinked as the person walked inside of the room, holding her food tray. It wasn't Kabuto, as she had expected.

It was a little boy. He couldn't have been more than five or six, in a smart little shinobi outfit with a Sound band proudly placed upon his forehead. His smile was still innocent and childlike, which made relief bubble inside of Sakura. He wasn't a killer like Orochimaru and Kabuto yet. He was still a little boy.

"Hello."

"Hi!" The little boy grinned toothily, showing the small gap in the front of his mouth where his two baby teeth had one stood. "I'm here to give you your food." He nodded as he spoke, motioning to the tray in his hand. "This."

Sakura felt a small smile tugging on her lips. "That's very nice of you."

"It's my job." He nodded. His 's came out with a slightly lisp, thanks to the gap between his teeth. Sakura thought it was cute.

"My, my, what a grown up man you are, already have a job and everything." Sakura teased gently.

He puffed up with pride, "Uh-huh, I'm going to become a shinobi one day."

"Really?" Sakura cocked her head to one side. "Why?"

"Because they're really strong!"

Sakura gave a small laugh. "Yes, I suppose they are."

"And they can do cool jutsus. I've already begun training. We star our real training when we're six."

"How old are you?"

"Fibe."

"Five?" Sakura exclaimed. "My my, you _are_ a grown up man."

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yep."

"Are you from Sound?"

"Yep." The boy sat down on the floor next to her, apparently not frightened by the grown up kunoichi in front of him. "My daddy is a Sound shinobi. My mommy's dead."

"I'm sorry."

"She had a fight with daddy about me being a shinobi. She wasn't from Sound. She said it was too dangerous and she didn't want me to become a ninja." The boy frowned. "I went to school in the morning and came back and she was gone. Daddy said she got sick and was in the hospital but I couldn't go visit her."

"Oh." Sakura's heart sunk and welled with pity as she looked at the little boy in front of her. This poor little boy would never see his mother again only because she was trying to protect him. Because she didn't want her son to be taught by a monster.

"After a few days, he said she wasn't coming back. He said she died in the hospital." The boy tried to keep the sadness out of his voice in a hope to sound grown up. He sniffled slightly. "And then daddy started training me to become a shinobi."

"Is that why you're in here?"

"Hai." The boy nodded. "My daddy came back from Orochimaru-sama's room and told me that I was supposed to get the food to the prisoner while he guarded the door out there." He pointed to the door.

_Of course. Orochimaru knows I would never hurt a little child. _Sakura felt herself boil with anger. _So that I wouldn't try and hurt him or use him as a hostage to get out of here. Bastard._

"You don't look like a prisoner." The boy frowned slightly, as if trying to think really hard. "You're pretty."

Sakura laughed. "Thank you. So I can't be a prisoner because I'm pretty."

"Hai." The boy nodded. "Prisoners are mean and dirty."

"I see." Sakura tried to keep from laughing even more and confusing the poor little child. "Well, did you know, that I'm a shinobi?"

"Really?" The boy's eyes seemed to widen to the size of sake cups. "But you're a girl!"  
"Hai. Women shinobi are called kunoichi." Sakura explained. "I'm sure you'll see some girl shinobi at your school when you go." She inwardly winced. _When he gets there, all he'll learn is how to kill. Orochimaru'll merely manipulate him, just like his own father is using him._

He shook his head vigorously. "No. Daddy says women are too weak to become shinobi. That's why mommy wasn't one."

_Then apparently he doesn't know that there are female shinobi everywhere. I'd like to see his father tell that to Tsunade-sensei._ That made Sakura's smile widen. "Well, where I come from, we have girl shinobi. My Kage, the Hokage, is a woman."

"Really?" The little boy gasped in awe. "A girl _Kage_?"

"Hai." Sakura nodded with another chuckle. There was a loud tapping at the door. The little boy gave a small jerk as he placed the plate in front of Sakura. "I have to go."

"Wait a moment." Sakura began. "My name is Sakura Haruno, what's yours?"

"I'm Atsuko Nishida!" The little boy ran to the door with a grin, throwing it open. He then turned back to her as if remembering something important. "Oh!" He gave a serious little bow, quite well for his age. "See you tomorrow Sakura-sama!"  
Sakura stared after him as the door closed behind him with a definite click. She watched the door for the longest time, her gaze worried and hopeless. _What future does that little boy have in this village?_

Sakura bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes as she leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes as desperate, angry tears flowed down her cheeks. _Damn Orochimaru, ruining people's lives and making killers out of children._

Sakura didn't even bother to touch her food. Besides, she couldn't eat it anyway. She couldn't move her hands. That was the last thing on her mind, however. She merely cried for little Atsuko and his diminishing chances of a happy future.

**(A/N: Awe, cute little boy! Don't worry, he isn't just random. He actually has a place in this story. So, who else is dying to find out what is in that scroll? My sister is probably going to start threatening me soon…**

**This chapter didn't really have anything too eventful in it, besides piquing our curiosity about the scroll. Too bad Itachi and the others aren't there yet! And poor Sasuke and them, they aren't even CLOSE to where Sakura is. They'll NEVER make it in time…or _will_ they?**

**Who knows?**

**Well, I do, but I'm not about to spoil it!**

**Happy New Year. Please review, you are all my inspiration! Without you guys, this story would probably still be sitting collecting dust. It's funny, the fact that I've been writing all of this really fast. I've just been doling out chapters like nobody's business! To tell you the truth though, I'd written the first five chapters a LONG time ago, and just had to edit them and then put them here, so, I guess I can't say that ALL of it was a mere stroke of genius…sigh…) **


	16. Chapter 15: Sacrifice

**Chapter 15**

**Sacrifice**

Kakashi looked around the area, his gaze serious. He pulled the facemask off of his mouth as he breathed in deeply. The air was still cold, but it wasn't freezing like before.

"Damn winter." Kankuro bit out, shivering as he landed beside Shikamaru and Kakashi. "I hate the snow. Why can't it be warm here, like in Sand?"

"It is warm here." Ino interrupted. "In the summer. It's _winter_."

Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Miss Obvious." Ino stuck her tongue out at him.

Shikamaru gave a loud sigh. "Don't be troublesome."

"Don't pretend to be _my_ sensei, Shikamaru-_kun_." Kankuro fluttered his eyelashes with his best Temari impersonation. Ino and Kiba burst into laughter. Akamaru yipped.

Kakashi gave a small smile.

"I can't believe I'm going to be related to you…" Shikamaru gave another sigh. "What a drag."

"I can't believe Temari's going to marry a lazy ass." Kankuro argued back at him. "You'd think after a near-death experience she'd realize how much better she could do." He shot Shikamaru a look that told him it was a joke, which Shikamaru had known already. Kankuro would never be sentimental.

Shikamaru was on the verge of yet another sigh when he saw a small flash of red on black. He looked to see Kakashi, who jumped into the air, disappearing.

"Come on." Shikamaru ordered the others. "Let's go."

They whipped through the trees behind Kakashi, just keeping sight of him as they ran. Suddenly Shikamaru landed on the tree branch beside him, noticing that he'd stopped. Kakashi grabbed his arm, making him look at him as he put a finger to his lips.

Shikamaru nodded, he motioned for the others to remain silent.

Then he looked through the trees to where three Akatsuki members were standing, their backs to Shikamaru and the others.

Shikamaru listened in.

"This isn't fair, yeah." One of them began. "Why do we have to go on a mission when Sakura-chan's missing?"

Shikamaru's eyes furrowed. Missing? Sakura-_chan_?

"I know you wish to get Haruno-san back from Tomokazu and the Sound Village, but we cannot do so at this time." Another voice answered back steadily.

"Let's go. We have to report to Leader." A harsher voice snapped.

"But I want to rescue Sakura-chan, yeah!" The first voice argued.

"No."

"But—"

"Let's go Deidara. This is a final decision. Unlike Tomokazu, I do not believe that you wish to disobey Leader's orders." The harsh voice answered coldly.

"…fine, yeah."

Shikamaru watched as all three Akatsuki members disappeared.

He turned to look back at the others.

"Did you hear…?"

"Yeah." Kiba nodded. "We heard." He rubbed Akamaru's head. Akamaru had his lips curled up in a silent snarl.

"They're in Sound? It seems that someone has taken Sakura-chan from the Akatsuki."

"But Sound is where Orochimaru is." Ino managed to get out in a horrified voice.

"Hai." Kakashi's eyes were dark. "That is where he is."

"What are we going to do?" Kankuro asked.

"We're going to find Sakura-san." Shikamaru stood with a sigh. "Come on. We've lost enough time. We'll have to backtrack now."

"We need to warn Tsunade-dono of this. If Sakura-chan is with Orochimaru, than she could have possibly been forced to heal his arms by now."

"She wouldn't."

"Then she's dead."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Ino gasped out. "How can you say something like that?"

"I've lost many people precious to me in my lifetime." Kakashi began softly, no one seeing the pained look that crossed his face. "And I know that if you do not hope, it is easier to deal with."

There was a long moment of pained silence as each of them looked down at their feet.

* * *

"What's on your mind, Hinata-chan?" Naruto grinned as he sidled alongside her. She gave him a quickly glance and a feeble smile as she shook her head. They weren't supposed to be talking right now.

Naruto frowned. He hated quiet.

"What are we doing here again?"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata whispered fervently, placing a hand over his mouth with a small, cute frown. "We must be quiet!" There was a long moment of silence as Hinata looked at her hand, and at Naruto's surprised expression.

"S-sorry!" Hinata squeaked out as she removed her hand quickly. She blushed a deep red as she tried to focus on the spot in the clearing ahead of them that she was supposed to be watching.

Naruto watched her with a small grin, loving the endearing look on her face when she was embarrassed. He continued to watch her, his gaze dreamy as he gave a small sigh. Her eyes were very beautiful…pale violet.

Suddenly eyes of a very different color flashed across his mind: emerald green—and he felt guilt wash over him. How could he be thinking thoughts like that when he was supposed to be trying to find Sakura-chan?

He couldn't allow himself to become distracted.

Sakura was one of his best friends. It was true that Sasuke had been his best friend, but after his betrayal…Naruto had realized just whom his loyalties and love lay with, just as he believed Sakura had.

Not only was she his best friend, but she'd been his first crush. He actually believed he had been in love with her at one period in time. But she had helped show him it was merely puppy-love, and the fact that she was one of the first people to accept him for who he was, that made him want her.

Now, she was only his friend. His best friend. Nothing would ever change that. It had hurt when Sasuke had betrayed the village, and Naruto had felt as if he had also betrayed _him_. But Sakura had always been there whenever he had needed her.

Now she needed him and he wasn't going to let her down.

They shared too many memories and attachments now.

_Naruto leaned inside of the windowsill, his face nervous and a little worried as he whispered urgently into the darkened room. "Sakura-chan?"_

_No answer._

"_Sakura-chan?"_

_There was a shifting of covers, but then silence. _

_"SAKURA-CHAN!?"_

_There was a loud sigh, "Naruto, is there some reason why you're sitting outside my window, screaming at three in the morning?"_

_"Can I come in?"_

_"Can I stop you?"_

_Naruto grinned as he slipped inside the window, shutting it behind him. He looked to see a still half-asleep Sakura sitting up in her bed, covering a yawn with her hand. Her hair hung in front of a pair of eyes that peered up at him wearily. _

_"Naruto, what is it?" She stifled another yawn._

_"I can't sleep."_

_"What's wrong?" Sakura's brows furrowed as she sat up a little straighter, her eyes more awake. "What happened?"_

_"A dream."_

_Sakura patted the spot on the bed beside her, indicating for him to sit. He did so gladly._

_"Tell me about it."_

_"It was the same nightmare as before." Naruto whispered, feeling foolish. He knew he shouldn't have let a mere nightmare get to him, but when he had awoken, alone in his home, he'd been frightened. He had been afraid he really was alone. _

_"When Sasuke-kun left?"_

_"Hai." Naruto nodded, raking a hand through his tousled hair, eyes frustrated and helpless, as if he were angry with himself for having the dream and being afraid of it. "But it was different."_

_"How?"_

_"It wasn't me he fought, Sakura-chan…it was you." _

_Sakura's brows knitted in confusion as she looked at Naruto. "Me?"_

_"Yeah." Naruto murmured. "You were fighting and I couldn't move and help you…" He was now taking in wavering, shaky breaths._

_"What happened?" Sakura tried to sound cheerful. "Did I kick his ass?"_

_Naruto didn't even manage a smile. "No."_

_"Well?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence, seeing that her small plan to cheer him had failed._

_"You were holding him off in the beginning, I don't remember what you used. It was a lot of weird jutsus I didn't recognize."_

_"That means everything except your shadow clone jutsu and Rasengan." Sakura teased._

_Naruto seemed to not hear her. "Then he used his special shuriken jutsu, you know the one where he throws the kunai with small strings attached to it, which trap the victim by tying him to a tree?"_

_"Hai."_

_"He used it on you and you couldn't move. No…that's not right, you just didn't try and move. You just looked at him, and your eyes were angry and sad and confused and hurt and…and I couldn't do anything!"_

_Sakura continued to watch him, surprised at the helplessness in his voice._

_"He ran at you with his Chidori and all I can remember is screaming at him to stop. I was yelling at him, telling him it was you and you loved him and how could he do it? I kept screaming stop…" Naruto's vision began blurring, but he blinked the tears away._

_"And you just continued to watch him. You didn't look scared or frightened or angry, you were just…hurt. You had this sad look in your eyes, like you couldn't understand how he could betray you like that. And I remember hearing you, just as he reached his hand back to strike, you whispered… 'please'."_

_"Please what?" Sakura asked._

_Naruto shrugged. "I don't know." His voice fell back down to a whisper. "The dream ends before he hits you with the Chidori. I don't remember."_

_"Well I'm here now, and I've been here for the past four hours." Sakura motioned to the bed. "So don't worry."_

"_I try not to."_

_Sakura shook her head with a small sigh as Naruto stood._

_"Thanks for talking with me Sakura-chan." Naruto answered back truthfully, not looking back at Sakura as he placed his hands on the windowpane. _

_"Naruto?"_

_Naruto turned back to see Sakura snuggled up on the edge of the bed, holding the sheets up for him. She pointed with her eyes to the spot beside her with a small, knowing smile. "Get in. You can sleep here tonight."_

_Naruto grinned. "Thanks Sakura-chan." He slipped into the bed, and they lay there, their backs to each other. _

_"Naruto?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Just don't try anything, ok? I'll kick your ass if you do, nightmare or no nightmare."_

_Naruto let out a small laugh as he closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep, feeling the comforting pressure on his back that told him he was not alone, that Sakura was there and real and wasn't going to be going anywhere._

_"Hai." He chuckled under his breath. "I won't." _

* * *

Sakura gave a small sigh as the door opened once more. She plastered a small smile on her face as she recognized who it was. "Good morning Atsuko-chan."

"Good morning Sakura-sama!" Atsuko greeted her cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear. He lifted up the plate. "I brought you some extra, 'cause I knew you were probably hungry."

"Hai." Sakura smiled. "Thank you." She gave a loud sigh as she looked down at the plate in front of her.

Atsuko came up to her, unlocking the chains around her hands under the watchful eyes of the guard outside the door that Sakura had soon learned was Atsuko's father. Sakura rubbed her sore wrists, smiling at him in thanks as she picked up her plate.

It had been three days since her first meeting with Atsuko. He brought her each of her meals, and unlocked the chains for each one. She hadn't tried anything. She wasn't going to hurt Atsuko, and she knew that Orochimaru had also known that.

Besides, she'd never make it ten feet from her cell.

Apparently Itachi wasn't the only one who knew how to use a powerful binding jutsu.

Sakura guessed it was Tomokazu's crude work.

She had been surprised that she hadn't been asked to heal Orochimaru's arms for the past three days. Kabuto had come to her cell once, however, and told her that Orochimaru had wanted her to have a bit more of her healing chakra left. Of course, Sakura knew she'd never have enough to fight him.

"How are you today, Atsuko-chan?" Sakura saw the guard at the door walk away, further down the hallway after seeing that Sakura wasn't going to try anything.

"Good." Atsuko grinned. "I've been training." His smile faltered slightly, as if he were trying to ignore something as he continued, "See?" He lifted his sleeve to show her the cut on his arm.

Sakura let out a gasp as she grabbed his arm tentatively with a frown. "You have to be more careful Atsuko-chan!" She placed a small amount of her healing chakra onto her fingertips, pressing them onto the wound.

Atsuko didn't even flinched at the small pain as she rapidly healed the cut.

"What a brave little boy." Sakura whispered. "You didn't even cry out."

"I'm a shinobi. Shinobi don't cry." Atsuko answered back bravely. Sakura looked up to see that his chin was wobbling. It had hurt.

"Everyone cries."

Atsuko shook his head. "Uh-uh. Shinobi don't cry. _You_ don't cry, Sakura-sama."

Sakura let out a small laugh. "I've cried before."

"Because you got hurt?" Atsuko asked fearfully. "I've never gotten worse than this."

"That was a scratch." Sakura nodded, "And scratches do hurt, but they heal fast." She shifted; taking a bite of the disgusting food she'd been given, forcing herself to swallow before she began again. "But Shinobi rarely get scratches."

"They don't?"

"No." Sakura sighed. "Shinobi get hurt a lot worse than scratches."

"But shinobi are strong. They can't be hurt by _any_body."

Sakura laughed. "Hai, they can Atsuko-chan. Everyone gets hurt. And besides, there's always someone stronger out there, somewhere."

"What do you mean? Is there someone out there stronger than Orochimaru-sama?"

"Hai." Sakura answered instantly. "I've met them before. Orochimaru isn't as strong as you think."

Atsuko frowned in disbelief. "No one's stronger than Orochimaru-sama."

"What makes you think that?"

"He almost destroyed Konoha!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile slightly. "But he didn't."

"But he killed the Third Hokage."

"But the Fifth one, The Gondaime, she almost beat him."

"Uh-_uh_."

"Would I lie to you?" Sakura raised one eyebrow.

Atsuko frowned, biting his lip. "…no."

"But Tsunade-sama isn't the person I was talking about." Sakura began absently. "Do you know about the Akatsuki?"

"They're strong." Atsuko nodded. "But Orochimaru left them because they were afraid of him."

Sakura stared at the little boy in disbelief. "Is _that_ what your father told you?"

"Hai. He said that Orochimaru left because he was the strongest and the other Akatsuki were afraid of him."

"Have you ever heard of Itachi Uchiha?"

"No. But I met Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura looked up. "You did?"

"Hai." Atsuko nodded, then pointed to her shirt. "That's his shirt you're wearing."

"I know. He was one of my friends."

"Then why are you locked up?" Atsuko asked in confusion. "He wasn't."

"…because when he left he wasn't my friend anymore. I was mad at him. Have you ever been mad at a friend?"

"No. I don't have friends."

"Nani?"

"Daddy says friends are only things that hold you back." Atsuko murmured. "None of us are friends. We all just want to train and become strong Sound shinobi for Orochimaru-sama!"

"I see." Sakura whispered. "Well, Sasuke was my friend. I guess you could say we got into a fight and he left. I was mad at him and he made some decisions I didn't agree with."

"Like coming here?"

"Hai."

"Why was that so bad?"

Sakura gave a sigh, not answering as she took another bite of her food, chewing thoughtfully. "Have you ever played a game, Atsuko-chan?"

"No."

Sakura tilted her head to the side with a small smile. "Then we're going to play one. We're going to play _I Spy_."

"What's that?"

"I find something in the room and I tell you the color of it, and you have to guess what it is that I'm talking about, ok?"

"Ok." Atsuko sat down with a boyish grin.

Sakura looked around the room. "I spy…something orange."

Atsuko gave a loud sigh, a concentrating look on his face as he scanned the room. "Hm…" He kept looking, and then gave a loud cry of glee as he jumped up, pointing down at her bowl. "The carrots in your soup!"

"Hai. You got it." Sakura grinned. "Now it's your turn."

Atsuko looked around the room, his face scrunched up as he thought long and hard. "I Spy…something red."

"Red?" Sakura's brows furrowed. "The Uchiha sign on this shirt?"

"No." Atsuko shook his head with a grin.

Sakura looked around the room. Nothing. There was no red anywhere. "Alright Atsuko, you win, I give up. Where on earth did you see something red?"

"Outside the window." He pointed to the window above Sakura's head from where she sat against the wall.

"Oi." Sakura grinned. "I can't look outside, what was red out there?"

"Clouds."

**End of Book 2**

**(A/N: …hehehehe…I am so mean. I love these cliffhangers. I think that everyone else is about to kill me though. Like my sister…**

**Well, the next chapter will probably be longer, but I don't know when I'll get it done. It's exam week at my school so I have to cram for my exams. I will be studying like nobody's business. **

**Wish me luck on my exams! I hate AP classes…**

**Well thanks for all of your reviews! I love them all. They inspire me.)**

**Next Book: Book Three...Cloud**


	17. Chapter 16: Rescue?

**Book 3: Cloud**

**Chapter 16**

**Rescue?**

Sakura stared at Atsuko. "C-Clouds!?" She stood quickly, ignoring the cramping in her legs as she stumbled slightly, trying to look out the window. The sudden movement caught the guard's attention outside and he burst inside. Before Sakura could even throw up her arms to block the blow she was pinned against the wall, her breath knocked out of her.

"Damn." Sakura hissed. "Let go." She felt her hands wrenched from where they had been massaging her stomach, to the wall, where they were chained back tightly.

"Come, Atsuko."

Atsuko stared at them both, not sure of what to do. He looked from his father to Sakura, who was breathing in deeply, her shoulders heaving as she spit the small amount of blood that had pooled in her mouth onto the ground.

"Hai." He whispered, following his father out of the room. The door shut behind them with a definite click.

Sakura breathed in deeply, closing her eyes in frustration. _Damn, damn, damn…_She didn't care that she was starting to sound like Tsunade, she just couldn't stop cursing. What an idiot. Here she was, tied back to the wall just because she had moved.

She gave a small sigh. She wondered if what Atsuko had said was true. After all, she hadn't seen anything. The small glimpse out the window she had gotten, all that she had seen was gloomy forest.

She slumped back to the ground with a groan, feeling the cold stone of the wall press against her back. She shifted her legs, wondering. She heard nothing. She sensed nothing. And she definitely couldn't see anything.

_Maybe it wasn't Akatsuki…_

_…why would Itachi come for my anyway?_

_Deidara would!_

Sakura blinked, a small smile on her face. She truly believed that Deidara would come and rescue her.

…if he could.

She strained her ears, trying to hear anything. But there was nothing from outside. However, there was one thing she heard. Footsteps, coming closer and closer. Confident, sure, and…pleased?

The chakra was different than what she was used to, something she had sensed only a few times. However, she had memorized it, burning it into her brain. She knew it full well, even if he _had_ been gone for a few days.

Tomokazu was opening the door to her cell.

He entered with a smug smile, leaning against the wall opposite her's.

"My, my, but you certainly look comfortable."

Sakura said nothing. There was no Orochimaru here to order Tomokazu off of her. If she got him angry…he might use _It_ again. She hid her shaking by moving her legs once more, and testing the iron chains.

Tomokazu let out a low chuckle.

"You are always so amusing, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura stared down at the ground. She was afraid to look at him. If she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop herself from trembling, or screaming for that matter. _Itachi, Deidara, Kisame, Sasori…dear god, please let that have been you outside my window. Please come…please…_

"…I saw the scroll Orochimaru is giving you." Sakura blurted out, trying to keep herself from screaming. Maybe Orochimaru would come soon. Dear god, for once she wanted the snake with her. She tried to keep her voice from trembling.

"Oh?" Tomokazu raised one eyebrow. "Interesting. What did you think? Could you read it?"

"No." Sakura hoped he didn't hear the slight catch in her voice.

"A pity." Tomokazu began walking towards her. Sakura stiffened, as his hand tipped her chin upward, so she was forced to look up at him. Silver met jade.

"I would have had to torture you to get the information out of you."

Sakura stared at him, eyes shining with fright. She tried to wriggle free of his grasp, but his grip was strong and unwavering.

He bent down close to her ear, giving a low chuckle as he breathed in the scent of her hair. "You still smell of cherry blossoms."

Sakura's eyes widened as she felt his hot breath on her neck.

"Orochimaru wants me to take you to him…" Tomokazu began, his hand moving down from her chin to her collarbone.

Sakura was too afraid to move.

"Perhaps I'll just _take_ you myself." Tomokazu purred, "I've always gotten Itachi Uchiha's leftover's before. I don't see how this is any different."

Sakura finally managed to move. She wrenched her leg up, but her foot connected with air, and then she let out a laugh gasp of pain as Tomokazu's elbow connected with her abdomen.

Sakura let out a small, chocked scream as blood speckled the ground in front of her. She swallowed, the metallic taste in her mouth sticking. She breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the pain. It wasn't like his jutsu. This pain was different, simple. Something she could deal with.

"Don't make me hurt that beautiful body of yours any further, Sakura Haruno." Tomokazu gave a small sigh of impatience as he unlocked the manacles on her arms, pulling her up in one swift moment.

"Orochimaru-sama waits for no one."

Sakura stumbled against him as the door opened as she was led outside. She was still trying to catch her breath as the made their way down the hall.

* * *

Itachi stared at the Sound Village compound from his spot hidden in the trees. The only thing that was visible were blood red eyes, peering through the darkness.

"We found it." Kisame shifted beside him, eyes alight with excitement. "Let's go and get the kunoichi. I have a bone to pick with that Tomokazu bastard."

"Hold on."

Kisame stared at Itachi, eyes wide. He watched him incredulously. "Why aren't we busting in now? That's what we're here for, isn't it?"

"Tomokazu is taking Sakura to Orochimaru."

"How do you know…?" Kisame shook his head. "Never mind." He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, a malicious grin spreading over his face. "This is going to be fun."

"We'll make our way through the compound from Sakura's cell." Itachi dropped down out of the tree, Sharingan ever-present as he ran across the small clearing to the compound wall with inhuman speed.

Kisame headed out as well, seeing a flash of metal shoot at him from between two of the buildings. He grabbed the kunai in his hands, twirling the blade with a feral grin. "Come on, you can do better than that." Then he chucked the kunai back into the shadows, hearing a grunt. He landed beside the corpse, calling back to Itachi.  
"Just a boy. He isn't even old enough to be a shinobi." Kisame shrugged. "I suppose Orochimaru is starting them out young."

"Did anyone else see you?" Itachi asked.

"Nah." Kisame shook his head. "Just the kid."

* * *

Neji stared around the shadowed compound with his Byakugan. He hand-motioned for Sasuke and Hinata to do a check as well.

"Well?" Naruto asked anxiously.

Neji glared at him. "Shut up."

Naruto frowned, but did as he was told.

Neji shifted one foot, edging toward the corner of the outer wall. He peered around the side, seeing no one. His eyes narrowed. _Where was everyone? This isn't right…_

"It's quiet." Naruto commented aloud.

Sasuke landed beside them, "Che. Shut up, loser."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him.

Neji merely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he looked at Sasuke and Hinata. "What did you see?"

"Nothing." Sasuke's Sharingan glowed in the darkness. "No movement at all."

"Me n-neither." Hinata whispered. "I d-didn't see anyone inside th-the building."

"They're probably just hiding really well." Naruto shrugged. "Come on, they're Akatsuki after all."

"But Sakura wouldn't be able to hide her chakra that well." Sasuke answered back.

"Time to kick Akatsuki ass!" Naruto cheered.

"L-Let's go save Sakura-ch-chan." Hinata nodded, her face determined.

_Time to get my revenge…_Sasuke thought fervently.

* * *

Shikamaru gave a deep breath, looking around the compound. He resisted the urge to give a loud groan. _Man…the place is surrounded…what a drag._

"What's the plan?" Kiba grinned. "Come on, let's go kick some ass."

"Shut up Kiba!" Ino snapped. "They can probably hear you!"

Shikamaru rested his head in his hands. "Be quiet everyone…" He gave a loud groan of frustration. "Man…why did Sakura-san have to make this so troublesome?"

"Yeah, cause we all know she _wanted_ to get caught by the Akatsuki and then get traded over to Orochimaru." Kankuro answered back sarcastically. "Way to go Sakura-san!"

Shikamaru was on the verge of another sigh, when Kakashi appeared beside them.

"The western side is clear."

"Good." Shikamaru nodded. "No shinobi?"

"A few, but it's the least guarded area. Closer to the young shinobi quarters."

"So," Ino frowned, "I guess Orochimaru doesn't care about the little children, does he? What a bastard!"

"Maa maa Ino." Shikamaru calmed her. "This isn't about the little children, or Orochimaru for that matter. It's only about getting Sakura-san out of there as quick and painlessly as possible."

"You mean, without it being too _troublesome_, right?" Kiba grinned.

"Enough." Kakashi silenced them. "This isn't a time for joking." He slipped a kunai out of his pack, edging towards the tree line. "We'll need to slip through soon, when the guard watch changes."

"Right." Shikamaru nodded. "We'll split into two teams. After all, we don't have that much time to get her out of there. We can't fight off Orochimaru, so don't even try it. If you get trapped, follow plan B that we decided on."

"Right." Everyone answered back seriously.

"I'll go with Kakashi. Kankuro, you're in charge of Kiba and Ino. Take them around the other side, closer to the front door. If they think we're devising a trap that way, maybe they won't notice Kakashi and myself sneaking inside."

"Got it." Kankuro grinned.

"Too bad Gaara-dono isn't here, ne?" Kiba gave a small snort. "This entire place would be filled with sand."

"My puppets are just as effective. In fact…" Kankuro gave a small laugh. "I've got a perfect one in mind. I'll have to summon in, of course. It was too big to carry."

"What could that be?"

"Just wait and see." Kankuro grinned. "I don't doubt _everyone_ is going to be a bit surprised." He shifted the two puppets on his back, pulling a small scroll out of his pack.

"Even Orochimaru?"

"It'll be one _hell_ of a surprise for _him_." Kankuro unraveled the scroll slightly, before motioning to Kiba and Ino. "Alright, let's head to the main gate. We're going to scare them to death."

"One can only hope." Ino muttered. "Because we all look _so_ intimidating."

"Talk for yourself, Ino." Kiba grinned as he fed Akamaru a food pill. "We're terrifying."

"The only thing frightening about you is your personal hygiene." Ino sniffed.

"Hey!" Kiba frowned. "I'm not Naruto, ok?"

Ino grinned as Akamaru barked in agreement, his fur a deep red as he bared his teeth in anticipation.

Kankuro raised one eyebrow. "Stop fooling around you guys."

Shikamaru stared at them, watching them disappear. "Man…"

Kakashi looked out across the clearing.

"Let's go."

* * *

His command was echoed by two other Sharingan wielders.

* * *

Following Sasuke's order, they burst into the doorway, fanning out as they had planned.

The room filled with dust and darkness, as all four of them rushed inside. They moved out of the way as Hinata threw a barrage of kunai, which would get rid of anyone unlucky enough to still be standing in the doorway.

Sasuke and Neji headed down the hallway, slipping through the smoke and not waiting to see how unmatched Naruto and Hinata would be.

The plan was to get Sakura back as quickly as possible, and Naruto and Hinata were there to buy time.

Neji rushed down the hallway, kunai in hand.

_I'm going to get you back this time, Sakura…_

_You'll die this time, Itachi…_ Sasuke growled deep in his throat, as the neared the main door. _I'll kill you with my own hands._

* * *

Sakura sat down in the chair presented to her silently, her gaze masked and guarded. She tried not to show how sore she was, and managed to refrain from rubbing her stomach, where Tomokazu had hit her.

She didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing how much it had hurt.

"It's good to see you again, Sakura Haruno." Orochimaru smiled. "I trust you've gained back enough chakra to finally begin healing me?"

Sakura stared at him, swallowing. "I need to look at it a bit more, to find out the worst hit areas." She whispered, hoping that he didn't hear the slight catch in her voice. She could feel Tomokazu's presence right beside her, but she didn't dare to look up. Kabuto was watching from behind Orochimaru.

She tried to still the trembling of her hands as she placed them over Orochimaru's dead ones. She was immediately assailed by the horrid sight of death. Nothing in his arms was working. The blood did not flow, the muscles did not move. The bones were nothing more than weights inside of dead skin.

Sakura had expected the skin to be freezing cold, but instead, it burned. He seemed to be very uncomfortable, and she could feel that he had a fever. His arms were horrible.

Sakura drew out her inspection of his arms as long as she could.

_

* * *

__Come on…come on…almost there…_Shikamaru silently urged himself as he rushed through the clearing. _No one has spotted us yet…come on…_Shikamaru silently urged himself as he rushed through the clearing. 

Kakashi sidled alongside him, his headband on his forehead instead of covering his left eye. It glowed with the Sharingan, and his face was serious beneath his mask.

_When are you going to start your distraction, Kankuro?_ Shikamaru wondered. _If you don't hurry, we're going to get caught—_ Shikamaru stopped in mid thought as a loud crashing sound echoed across the entire Sound Village compound. Wood splintered, rock crumbled, and clouds of dust flew into the air, billowing out and making visibility hard.

Shikamaru's eyes watered as he blinked, trying to get the dirt out of his eyes. "I can't see."

"Follow me." Kakashi answered back readily, as they continued across the clearing, now completely invisible.

"What did Kankuro do?" Shikamaru questioned.

There was a long moment of silence. Then Kakashi answered.

"He brought out Sanshouo."

* * *

"Well?" Orochimaru continued to sneer. "Are you going to begin or not?"

Sakura stared down at his hands, her fear rising. She would never heal Orochimaru. She knew that for a fact. But Tomokazu…She felt his presence behind her, a nagging fear in the back of her mind.

She lifted her hands for a moment, biting her lip.

"Heal his arms, Sakura." Kabuto ordered.

Sakura continued to stare down at Orochimaru's arms. _I could kill myself, though I don't know if I have enough time. Tomokazu would catch me in the act. If I could grab one of the small daggers on the table…no, Kabuto is probably watching me for that, since last time. And Tomokazu is faster than Kabuto, so there's no way I could get away with it._

Sakura placed her fingertips on Orochimaru's arms, but lifted them once more, indecision flooding her senses. _I could kill Orochimaru with killing chakra, before Kabuto would notice. I might be able to do it too fast for him to stop me, and Tomokazu doesn't know the difference between healing and killing chakra._

Sakura's mouth went dry as she tried to swallow to wet it again. It was certain death. If she used killing chakra she would be deader than Orochimaru and twice as surprised.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she flinched, trying to draw back. She felt his breath on her neck as Tomokazu murmured amusedly, "I could take you to another room to persuade you, Sakura Haruno, if that's what it will take."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "Do it, Haruno."

Sakura looked down at her own hands, then back at his dead ones. Her eyes continued to trail as her breathing began to quicken. She knew what she had to do. She placed her hands on top of Orochimaru's, and breathed in deeply.

If she died, she'd take Orochimaru down with her.

* * *

Itachi calmly stepped over the Sound corpses his gaze intent on the door in front of them. Kisame merely walked over them, not seeming to care that his boots were now covered in blood.

He picked up the only living Sound shinobi by his shirt, hauling him against the wall. "Where's Orochimaru?"

The sound shinobi didn't answer.

Kisame shook him like a rag doll, before slamming him back against the wall. "I'll ask nicely only one more time: where's Orochimaru?"

The man let out a gasp. "Down…the hall. The center door…"

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Kisame grinned as he threw the man to the ground, not bothering to see if he was ok or not, as he and Itachi walked down the hallway.

They met little resistance, since most of the shinobi seemed more intent on something else, something that Kisame wasn't going to think about. Apparently there was a big ruckus outside the compound. Itachi wasn't going to complain about the lack of resistance. Kisame, however, was finding it all a bit of a let down.

"You wanna do the honors?" Kisame couldn't help but give a malicious smile as he pointed to the large door that loomed above them. He could feel Orochimaru's presence inside—as well as Tomokazu's.

Kisame's grin widened. He'd spill some more blood yet.

"Open it." Itachi ordered.

Kisame nodded, kicking the two doors open with one foot. They flew off the hinges, landing a good few feet away from the gaping hole that had once been a doorway.

"Sorry if I forgot to knock." Kisame smirked as he sauntered inside. "I never did learn any manners."

* * *

Sasuke and Neji lunged into the room, weapons drawn, Sharingan and Byakugan blazing.

* * *

Shikamaru and Kakashi burst through the doorway, Shikamaru's shadow shooting across the ground to grab the first person he saw.

Chidori lit up the room as Kakashi flew inside, one gray, one red eye glaring into the darkness.

* * *

Sakura's whole body jerked at the sound of splintering wood. She swerved around in her chair, staring, mouth open in surprise at the two people who stood in the doorway.

Her saviors.

* * *

Kakashi and Shikamaru stared around the room, eyes wide.

* * *

Neji and Sasuke merely stood in the middle of the darkened room, breathing heavily, their faces shocked and surprised.

* * *

"What the…?" Kabuto began, getting into a battle position. "What's going on?"

"And here I thought the only nuisance outside were the Konoha shinobi." Tomokazu gave a small smile. "It's good to see I was wrong, isn't it _Itachi_?"

_Konoha shinobi?_ Sakura blinked. She'd heard the sounds outside, but hadn't thought much of it. Had Sasuke and the others come to save her?

For some reason, the thought didn't thrill her as much as she had thought it would.

In fact, the only happy moment she had was when Itachi had walked through that doorway. Her heart had almost stopped.

He'd come to save her.

True, he'd probably done it to use her as bait for the Kyuubi, but for some reason, it still made her stomach do a few flips. She began to stand from the table, "Itachi! Kisame!"

"Sit down, Haruno." Orochimaru ordered coldly, standing himself.

Sakura glared at him, but didn't move. She decided she had better stay out of the fight. She would only get in the way. She turned to see that Itachi and Tomokazu were glaring at each other.

"So you came to save your little cherry blossom, did you Itachi?" Tomokazu smirked. "How touching." He began circling the stationary Uchiha, twirling a kunai between his fingers. "Are you going to kill me because of it?"

"You signed your life away the moment you betrayed the Akatsuki, Tomokazu." Kisame sneered. "Don't act smart. Just bare your neck now and save Itachi the trouble of slitting it later."

Tomokazu's eyes flashed. "Is that what you think will happen? Let's see then."

"The outcome is inevitable." Itachi answered back coolly. "You will die."

Tomokazu glared as he threw the kunai. Itachi merely turned to the side as the kunai flew past, but he lifted his hand to his cheek to wipe away the blood. The weapon had grazed it.

"Just repaying you, Uchiha." Tomokazu motioned to the red line across his own face, where his own wound had not fully healed.

"I hope it infects and your face rots off." Kisame grinned. "You'll look so much the better because of it."

Sakura stared from Itachi to Kisame to Tomokazu. All of them watched each other warily, as if waiting for the other to strike. Sakura shifted her weight, ready to launch into a battle stance at any moment. The tension was almost visible, like the tight string of a bow that was stretched to its limits and would snap at any moment.

"What a wonderful little surprise." Orochimaru broke in, coming from around the table. He stood fully, the only sign of his ill health being the sheen of sweat that was barely visible in the dim light, and the fact that his arms did not move at all. They merely hung there, useless.

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "What should we do?"

…

…

…

"…Tomokazu, kill them." Orochimaru ordered with a sneer. "Kabuto, get Haruno. We'll be leaving shortly."

Sakura blinked, not really registering what had just happened. She could see Tomokazu and Itachi glaring at one another, weapons halfway drawn.

"Come on then, Sakura." Kabuto murmured as he grabbed her arm.

Apparently Kabuto had forgotten that Sakura had regained a lot of her strength and chakra over the past three days. She shoved her elbow backwards, feeling it connect with his stomach. He let out a gasp of pain as Sakura spun around, punching him square in the face.

He flew across the room, twisting around to land on his feet before he crashed into the wall behind him. He wiped the blood from his mouth with a frown. "Don't be such a nuisance, Sakura. Just come peacefully."

Sakura let out a small laugh. "There's no way in hell that I'm coming with you."

Orochimaru gave a wry chuckle. "Come now Haruno, you're being rather pathetic aren't you? Just be a good little girl and come along."

Sakura stared at both of them, her hands clenching into fists.

"Now it's not very nice to gang up on a lady, is it?" Kisame gave a loud sigh, "Especially when I'm sitting here with nothing to do."

Orochimaru raised one eyebrow.

Kisame cocked his head to one side. "Don't keep me waiting."

Sakura would have watched further, except for the fact that Kabuto lunged at her at that precise moment. She jumped backwards, blocking with her arms as Kabuto's leg connected with them. She grabbed a hold of his leg as she continued falling backwards, throwing him across the room.

The clone disappeared in a plume of smoke as it hit the wall.

Sakura swerved around, letting out a small snarl as the kunai in Kabuto's hand cut a long gash down her arm. The blood dripped down to the stone floor, but Sakura ignored it. _Dammit_, he had a weapon and she didn't.

Sakura did a few rapid hand signs, creating a clone of herself to fight off Kabuto and give Sakura enough time to find a weapon. She then did another group of rapid hand signs—one that Shizune had taught her—cupped her hands and blew the noxious gas out of her mouth, filling the room with black smoke as she jumped to the side and her clone went in to fight.

She reached the large bookshelf in the corner, and grabbed a kunai from inside of a holster conveniently placed there. She was about to head back when something caught her eye. The box that held the special scroll that Tomokazu wanted.

Sakura stared at it for a long time, undecided. Then she blinked, noticing that the smoke was gone. She threw up the kunai as Kabuto appeared beside her, and blocked his weapon with her own.

She pushed forward, sending him back a few inches as she threw the length of her leg up, filling it with her chakra.

Kabuto just managed to throw the kunai up with his arm to block her.

There was a horrendous, sickening snap, as everything else seemed to stop.

Sakura felt pain shoot through her leg.

Blood dripped down onto the floor. It was the only sound that could be heard, besides labored breathing.

Itachi and Tomokazu, who had merely been watching each other, circling like vultures, turned.

Kisame, his sword stuck in the ground from his forceful slice downwards at Orochimaru, turned to watch the outcome, Orochimaru watching as well.

Kabuto's kunai had gone straight through Sakura's leg because of the immense force she had used to kick. Kabuto was staring at her in surprise, before a small smile spread across his face.

"Missed me, Sakura."

Then his glasses shattered.

* * *

"…It's empty." Naruto whispered from behind Neji and Sasuke.

"Were we t-too late?" Hinata whispered.

"Hai." Neji glared, his voice cold. "We were too late."

* * *

"Kakashi," Shikamaru gasped out, "This is the wrong room!"  
"Hai." Kakashi felt a moment of fear grip him. The sounds of battle outside of the walls was lessening. They couldn't afford to mess up like this. They didn't have time.

"We screwed up." Shikamaru whispered. "…oh man..."

* * *

Kabuto let out a small choke as he dropped to the ground, coughing up blood.

Sakura stumbled backwards, gingerly placing a small amount of weight on her leg. The stabbing pain shot up her thigh and she had to stop as she let out a small gasp. She placed her hand on the kunai, ripping it out with a cry.

She fell to her knees as her leg gave out on her. She sat in front of Kabuto, breathing heavily as she watched him continue to heave and throw up blood. What had she done?

Then she stared at his neck in horror, as he looked up at her, hatred burning in his eyes. Sakura had kicked him so hard that the arm shielding his face and neck had broken entirely, the bone splintering and jutting from beneath the skin.

A bone fragment had embedded itself inside of his throat.

"You…bitch…" Kabuto managed as blood trickled down his throat. He pulled himself up, still coughing.

Sakura stared at him in horror. She couldn't move because of her leg. She fumbled for her kunai, gripping it in her hand. She held it so tightly she could feel her own skin break because she had gripped the blade too hard.

"Kabuto!" Orochimaru ordered from where he stood, "Don't touch her."

Kabuto stared from Orochimaru to Sakura, his eyes wild. Sakura had a feeling he didn't care about Orochimaru's orders. He wanted to kill Sakura and that was that.

Kabuto lifted his hand to his neck, letting out a loud growl as he ripped out the bone. Blood spurted from the wound, soaking his outfit and drenching his fingers in it.

He lifted Sakura up off of the ground by her neck with his good arm. His crimson stained fingers felt sticky and warm as they tightened around her throat.

Sakura began scrabbling, digging her nails into his arm.

"Let her go, Kabuto." Orochimaru ordered.

Sakura choked as she tried to breathe, feeling her lungs begin to burn. Kabuto continued squeezing. Sakura's eyes narrowed to mere slits as she managed to gasp out.

"Let go of me, Kabuto."

"Or what, Sakura?" Kabuto gave an insane smile. "You'll _kill_ me?"

…

…

"Yes."

Kabuto's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as Sakura slammed her kunai into the already gaping hole in his throat. He let out a loud cry, which was cut short as blood poured from his mouth and he dropped to the ground, Sakura along with him.

She landed on her leg, giving a small cry as she gritted her teeth, trying to keep from screaming out. She lifted herself off of Kabuto slowly, eyes watery in pain as she dragged herself backwards.

Kabuto convulsed on the ground for a few seconds, before he fell still.

Sakura breathed in deeply, staring at what she had done. She lifted a hand to her neck. She could still feel his fingers curled around her throat. She swallowed, breathing in deeply to regain the air he had squeezed out of her.

Orochimaru stared at his fallen servant, his gaze dark. "Tomokazu. Let's go."

Tomokazu gave a small sigh of annoyance. "Very well. I suppose we'll have to battle later, Itachi." He gave him a small salute as he grabbed the box from off of the bookshelf, tucking it into his cloak as he disappeared a second behind Orochimaru.

"Dammit!" Kisame jerked his sword out of the ground, sending plumes of debris into the air as he did so. "I could have killed the bastard."

Sakura stared at them both, indecision finally coming forth. She knew the Konoha shinobi were outside. She could make a run for it. She could escape and be with Sasuke again if she could get away from Itachi and Kisame.

But Sakura merely shifted her leg and cringed. There was no way she was moving at all. _Damn, I guess I won't be escaping after all._ For some reason the thought wasn't too horrible sounding.

"You alright, kunoichi?" Kisame grinned. "Nice work on the pup." He motioned to Kabuto's limp form.

Sakura nodded numbly.

"Can you walk?" Itachi's voice was as cold and emotionless as always.

Sakura shook her head.

Itachi picked her up in his arms, shifting his grip so he didn't jar her leg. Sakura closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of his cloak. She was already falling asleep. The loss of blood was causing her to fall unconscious.

"We need to bandage her wounds." Itachi replied.

"We have to get going first. Those little Konoha shinobi are coming."

Sakura leaned her head against Itachi's chest, too tired to care at the moment. She barely even realized it was Itachi she lying against. All she knew, was that somehow, someway…

…she was safe.

She let herself drift off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of Itachi and Kisame's sandals as they ran through the Sound Village hallways. She gave a small, contented smile as she felt the comforting weight inside of her shirt.

Tomokazu would be _very_ surprised when he opened the box.

**(A/N: So? So? Who liked it? I tried to do the split second thing with all three groups and I don't think it really worked all that well, but at least it helped to build up the suspense. And if anyone doesn't know what Sonshouo is (though I'm sure you do) he is the gigantic lizard puppet that Kankuro has, which pretty much pulverizes everything in its path. **

**I hope no one liked Kabuto too much. I mean, he had to die sometime. (I actually think he's kind of hot without his glasses, but oh well, he had to go sooner or later).**

**Well, unfortunately, our school system if out of wack and I have to take the rest of my exams NEXT week. So, I still don't have that much time. But, I had to get this chapter done. I mean, I was studying so hard my brain was turning to mush. I needed to do something to get my mind off of school.**

**Well, until next chapter, take care everyone! As always, reviews are welcome.**

**Lady Hanaka**

**P.S. The next chapter is going to be a bit more sentimental than most, a real Sakura and Itachi _MOMENT_! Yay! I know you've all been waiting for it. Of course, it won't be too much, 'cause that would be really OOC for everyone involved. Well, hope you like the next one; it'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Hopefully.)**


	18. Chapter 17: Guardian

**Who here is slightly surprised to see this next chapter up so quickly? Well, me too. But I've been studying so hard...I just HAD to do something to get my mind off of european history...I love history, but geeze...**

**Ok...so...The moment you've all been waiting for! The chapter that is so important I had to tell you about it beforehand. Yay!**

**It's short but oh so satisfying…ah…gotta love it. If you hadn't noticed I'm stalling you to build the suspense. Hehehe...ok, read and enjoy!**

**Chapter 17**

**Guardian of the Cherry Blossom**

Itachi placed Sakura down on the bed carefully, making sure not to move her leg too much. They were in a hotel room in a small town outside of Sound. Itachi tried to forget about the aching in his arm, a present from his little cherry blossom.

He needed to forget about the pain for now.

It was irrelevant.

"How is she?" Kisame walked into the room, his arms filled with bandages, towels, and a large pitcher of sake. He gave a weary sigh, "Well, I need a _drink_."

Itachi raised one eyebrow. "You didn't do anything."

Kisame grinned. "Ok, well, the _kunoichi_ needs a drink."

"She's unconscious."

Kisame nodded solemnly, "I suppose I'll just have to drink it for her then." He ruined it by winking.

"Hn." Was all Itachi said as he grabbed the bowl of hot water he'd gotten out of the sink earlier, placing it on the small table next to the bed. He took a towel from Kisame and placed it into the water, letting it soak.

He reached his hand out to slip off Sakura's pants, but stopped for a moment, faltering.

…

…

…

"You should go get some sleep, Kisame."

Kisame raised one eyebrow, "Right." He hid a mischievous grin as he placed the bandages and sake on the small table with the water. He knew _exactly_ why Itachi wanted him gone. "Don't worry about the sake. I'll get my own. Ja!"

Itachi waited for the door to click behind him before he turned back to Sakura.

She looked completely peaceful. Her hair spilled around her, the pale pink in sheer contrast to the shadowy room. Itachi pushed Sakura's shirt up slightly so he could take off her pants, and he saw a few black and blue spots. He made a mental note to check those injuries later.

He slid her pants off of her easily, folding them and placing them on the chair next to him. _Why am I doing this?_ Why on earth was he playing nursemaid to the pink-haired kunoichi? She was a healer, when she awoke she could heal herself.

But she might not awaken before she bled to death.

Itachi frowned slightly, something he didn't normally do. His crimson eyes narrowed in thought as he mused over the past few weeks.

He wondered if maybe it was regret for everything else he'd done in his life that made him care for Sakura Haruno.

Regret? Itachi snorted. He never regretted anything. Regret was for fools and weaklings. He'd never regret anything. Why would he care if she died? After all, he'd killed his own parents, the entire Uchiha Clan. He had never regretted that.

They'd had it coming to them anyway.

Cocky, prideful bastards.

Itachi blinked. Why was he thinking about such things now? He hadn't thought about the murder of his Clan for a long while. It seemed that Sakura Haruno was digging up things that were best left buried. She was making him remember things that should have been forgotten.

But she would _never_ make him regret.

Itachi's thoughts shifted back to the young woman in front of him as she moved on the bed with a small groan. The movement made the large shirt she was wearing ride up her thighs. This, of course, drew attention to her shapely, pale legs that were in complete view to Itachi.

He had no time to revel in their beauty, however, for the large wound on her right calve was still bleeding slightly.

Itachi took the warm cloth from the bowl and wrung the extra water out of it, before cleaning the blood from the wound. Sakura moved as he did this, trying to shift her legs away from the wet cloth.

Itachi merely gripped her leg, holding it still as he finished washing the wound. The water in the bowl was now crimson. Itachi grabbed a square of gauze that had been soaked in disinfectant—of course, the only disinfectant they had at the moment was sake—and placed it over the wound. Sakura's leg jerked at the contact, and she let out a small whimper in her sleep, but then settled down again.

Itachi then began to bandage the wound.

He scooted himself further onto the bed so he could hold her leg to him and get the bandage all the way around. He sat in the middle of her legs, holding the injured one in his lap as he continued wrapping the white bandage around and around.

He finally secured it when he was satisfied, looking down at his handy work. He may not have been a medical shinobi, but he knew how to clean and bandage a wound. Even if Sakura didn't wake in the next few days—though he had a feeling she would be awake by morning—then the wound would be fine. Definitely not fatal.

He was going to move her leg back into a more comfortable position and get off the bed when he remembered her stomach bruises. He gave a small sigh of annoyance as he pulled out his kunai to cut open the shirt.

"Don't."

Itachi looked down to see Sakura staring up at him, her luminous green eyes reflecting the light from the lamp.

Itachi raised one eyebrow. "I have to look at your stomach." Was Sakura embarrassed to show Itachi her body? He'd seen everything she had to offer already.

Sakura gave a small frown. "I know that. Just please, don't cut this shirt." She sat up, shifting her leg off of his lap. She gave a small sigh as she slipped the shirt over her head, placing it next to her on the bed.

She sat in front of him, clothed only in her underwear and bra. She didn't blush, or try and hide herself. She merely waited for him to begin.

Itachi looked down at the bruises along her stomach. Someone had beaten her, someone he guessed was Tomokazu. A few of her ribs were broken. _Bastard._ Itachi pressed a spot on her stomach, seeing her wince.

"Why does that shirt matter to you?" Itachi picked up the bandages. He could at least make a splint out of it, to keep the pain at bay until Sakura regained enough chakra to heal herself.

"It's Sasuke's."

Itachi faltered slightly, but recovered quickly as he took the bandages, wrapping them tightly around Sakura's stomach. He hadn't really looked at the shirt, but he did so then. The Uchiha sign was very prominent, though he hadn't noticed it before. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he continued wrapping Sakura's abdomen. She barely flinched.

"I see."

Suddenly Itachi felt a cool hand on his cheek. Sakura traced the still fresh cut with a finger, frowning. "Does it hurt?"

"No."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Liar."

Itachi's lip twitched as he forced himself not to smile.

Sakura molded a small amount of her chakra into her fingers, sealing the cut easily. "It wasn't too deep, so it didn't take much chakra," she explained as she took her hand away from his cheek.

"…so…" Sakura looked down at her leg, seeing the fresh bandage. "Thank you. I'll heal it completely when I get enough chakra." _If you don't have Kisame _drain_ me, of course._

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes and was about to remark on 'how he could choke on his own inflated image of himself, it was so big', when she realized that she was talking to _Itachi_. She supposed it hadn't really sunk in before.

He'd killed Temari.

He was a murderer.

And she was teasing him about his pride? When had she gotten to the point that she could joke with s-ranked criminals? People she was supposed to fear and hate? People that, as an ANBU, she would someday be sent to assassinate.

For some odd reason, Sakura just couldn't bring herself to hate any of them, at least not Kisame, Deidara, Sasori, and maybe even Itachi, even though that was stretching it slightly.

Itachi…well, as she'd said before, that was stretching it. She still didn't know if she should even talk to him at the moment. But…her last moments before she'd almost finished the suicide jutsu…well, they had made her think.

She didn't believe she _liked_ thinking on that subject.

Sakura made to grab her shirt when Kisame burst into the doorway.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Sakura asked.

Kisame grinned. "My mother didn't teach me manners, kunoichi."

"_That_ is obvious." Sakura sighed deeply, shaking her head. "Is there a reason why you're in here?"

"I need sake."

"Huh?" Sakura furrowed her brows. "Then go to a bar."

"I can't." Kisame gave a loud sigh as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Sakura moved her legs to give him room. The entire bed shifted to the right as it sagged underneath his weight.

"Why not?"

Kisame moaned out, "Itachi said I had to be a good little boy and stay inside the building where I can't be spotted by other shinobi." Kisame managed a small grin, "Like your Konoha friends."

Sakura's eyes widened for a moment as she remembered that they had indeed been at Orochimaru's. Were they all right? What had happened after Itachi had taken her away? Surely Itachi hadn't...?

Itachi did nothing to show he had even heard Kisame's comment.

"Well," Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, regarding him coolly. "What makes you think I have any for you?"

"What do you think we used to disinfect your wound, kunoichi?" Kisame raised one eyebrow, staring at her with much the same expression.

Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ew! That has my blood in it!"

"I don't care." Kisame shrugged.

"She could have the HIV virus." Itachi commented vaguely.

Sakura stared at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. Had Itachi just made a _joke_? She turned to see Itachi give a small smile, which was more of a mouth palsy than anything else.

Kisame looked just as dumbstruck. He recovered quickly, though he had to blink a few times. Sakura was afraid he was going to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming.

Sakura frowned. "Well then I hope I gave it to you." She flipped her hair back a she huffed slightly. She wanted him to smile again, but he didn't. He merely regarded her calmly.

The moment was gone.

Kisame snickered, trying to hide it by pretending to cough. "Well, um, so…can I have it?"

"Just take it." Sakura gave a loud sigh, motioning to the sake pitcher.

"Nice to see you up and about, kunoichi." Kisame grinned as he grabbed the sake pitcher and headed to the door. He gave her a wink as he opened it with one hand. "Next time _I'll_ clean your wounds, ne?"

Sakura raised one eyebrow dangerously. She almost made the comment that if Kisame had been cleaning her wounds, there wouldn't have been any sake left to disinfect them, but refrained from doing so as Itachi spoke.

"I thought I told you to get some sleep, Kisame. You'll have the next watch."

Kisame hurriedly left the room, realizing he'd almost overstepped the boundary between himself and Itachi. He _really_ didn't feel like making him all that angry. He decided he wouldn't make any more comments on Sakura's figure.

Sakura felt herself and Itachi lapse into an uncomfortable silence. Well, to _her_ it was uncomfortable. She was sure Itachi didn't mind.

Sakura gave a small sigh as she traced the Uchiha emblem on Sasuke's shirt. When she had been younger she'd dreamed of marrying Sasuke and wearing the same emblem, of having her children wear the same emblem…She blinked back a few tears as she remembered Itachi was in the room with her. She couldn't cry in front of him. It's not like he'd understand.

The Uchiha symbol held little importance to him, apparently.

Sakura lifted her hand from the shirt, remembering something. She looked around frantically, trying to find it.

"Your photograph is over there." Itachi answered back vaguely.

Sakura blinked, looking to where he had pointed. She saw the faded, torn picture of Sasuke's family sitting on the table against the wall.

"Where did you get it?"

Sakura looked up at Itachi, seeing his crimson eyes staring at her intently. She swallowed, before answering, "It was in Sasuke's room. I took it with me."

"And the scroll?"

Sakura almost froze in surprise, but her ANBU instincts made her merely nod calmly. "Hai. I haven't read it yet." _Dear god please don't let him see that I'm lying through my teeth!  
_

"I see." Itachi nodded.

"Did _you_ read it yet, Itachi?" Sakura asked quietly. _Can he read it? Please tell me he can't, oh please, oh please…if he figures out that I can read it than—_

"No." Was all Itachi said. What he didn't tell her was that he had opened it and looked it over, but had seen nothing he could read. The only significance had been the Uchiha symbol on the top of the scroll. Itachi had merely guessed it was some old scroll about the Sharingan. Probably nothing of importance. He'd find out sooner or later, when he decoded the text.

"Oh." Sakura nodded. She gave a small sigh as she pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her arms against them and looking out the window. "Where are we?"

"Outside of Sound."

"How far?"

"A while."

"Miles?"

"Hn."

"Where are we headed?"

"Somewhere that you can't leave a hint for your ANBU friends to find you at."

Sakura froze, staring at him in surprise as her and Deidara's snowman came to mind. "You knew?"

"Hai."

"But…" Sakura swallowed. "You didn't…you didn't do anything about it. I mean…" _What kind of an idiot was I? He _saw_ me put the message to Sasuke and the others in the snow?_

"Of course not."

"But…why?" Sakura's brows furrowed in confusion.

Itachi watched her for a long moment, and the silence stretched on.

…

…

…

"You seem to have forgotten that you are merely bait for the Kyuubi."

Sakura looked down at her hands, a small frown on her face. It all made sense to her now. Of course Itachi hadn't said anything. He was making his own trap for Naruto. He needed Naruto to keep trailing them, so that he could take the Kyuubi out of him.

_I'm a fool._

"I see." Sakura whispered, "I guess I did forget." She felt a small moment of sadness. She supposed it was because it proved her theory that Itachi was only using her as bait.

_Well of course he was! You actually believed he _cared_ about you? Ha!_

"How long will it take for you to heal your wounds?" _Why does _he_ care?_

_He doesn't, of course._

Sakura looked up at Itachi, answering back matter-of-factly. "I suppose a day or so. Not too long."

"We'll stay here for three days then."

"Why an extra day?" Sakura asked.

"That will give you time to heal my eyes."

Sakura bristled. "Like hell I will!" She scooted back on the bed, away from him as she glared. "Fix your own damn eyes!" _You're playing with fire, Sakura…_ Her ANBU voice warned. _Don't get him angry._

"I told you that you would fix my eyes."

"And I told you I wouldn't." Sakura snapped back. "I'm not your little personal physician. I'm not someone you can just ring up to fix every little thing you want. You can't _order_ me to do anything."

Itachi watched her in annoyance. She was making it difficult. Why couldn't she just see that it was more beneficiary for them both if she just did as she was told? He noticed, however, that his cherry blossom was too stubborn for that. He gave a small sigh of irritation. He supposed he could give it a try...

…

…

…

"_Will_ you heal my eyes?"

Sakura stared at him. "Nani?" She blinked a few times. What was with Itachi? First he made a joke, and then he _asked_ her to do something? If things kept heading in that direction, he would be begging on his knees for her help.

_Don't get ahead of yourself, Sakura._

Sakura watched him, looking deep into his eyes for any kind of sign. There was no pity, or remorse, or desperation. There was no pleading of need. They were completely and utterly empty.

_Just like his heart._

_No_…Sakura didn't truly believe that anymore. She knew that at one point in time she had believed he was cold and heartless. But now…perhaps there was still a small part of him—miniscule as it was—that still held a bit of kindness.

He just needed someone to find it and bring it to the surface.

For some reason, Sakura thought that perhaps she was that someone.

_But he killed Temari!  
_Sakura blinked, eyes misting slightly. She felt her anger and fury at Itachi build until a voice broke into her head.

**_You've had emotional training, haven't you? So that you can deal with a fellow shinobi's death? _**

It was Temari. She'd been talking to Shikamaru at the time, warning him not to get too upset if Choji or Neji had died.

_But I'm not strong like you, Temari! I can't _be_ a good shinobi!_ Sakura cried furiously. _I just can't do it!_

Itachi stood, getting ready to leave.

Sakura blinked as the movement caught her eye. However, it merely led her to the yukata and slacks placed on the basket by the bathroom door. The red Akatsuki clouds on the obi were very prominent.

For some reason the thought struck her, that, if she were ever to become an Akatsuki, she'd need to be strong. Like Temari.

_But why on earth would I even be thinking about becoming an Akatsuki?_

_…to stay with them._

Sakura blinked again, before whispering, "Don't go, Itachi."

Itachi turned to look back at her. He got one look at her eyes and knew she was battling within herself over something.

He wondered which side was winning.

Then, softly, ever so softly, Sakura called out to him, "Let me look at your eyes for a moment."

Itachi nodded as he sat back down on the bed. He could tell by her shaking hands that she had just made a large and grave decision. He supposed it had something to do with helping him and healing his eyes.

Sakura lifted a hand hesitantly to his eyes, "You'll need to turn off your Sharingan. And I'll have to do the same thing I did last time, you know." She answered back readily, "So your sight may leave you for a few moments. You shouldn't panic."

"Hn."

_As if_ he'd _ever panic._

Sakura noticed that Itachi didn't pull away from her as she placed her fingers on his temples, pushing a small amount of her healing chakra into them.

Itachi felt blackness assail him, and his mind screamed at him to destroy the threat, but he refrained from doing so as he felt Sakura's cool healing chakra slip behind his eyelids. He merely wondered what had caused her to decide to heal him. It was strange how she could change so dramatically in only a few moments. She was so different from anyone else he had ever met.

She was a strange, exotic novelty.

"Alright…open you eyes." Sakura whispered.

Itachi did so, and had to blink a few times to register what was happening. At first his eyes were blurry, as if he were trying to see underwater, but they soon adjusted. He looked around the room, containing his surprise behind his usual mask.

He could see clearer than he had in years.

For a moment he merely marveled at his regained sight, until he remembered the figure sitting next to him. He slowly turned to look at her. _Really_ look at her. Sakura was different than before. Her angelic features stood out prominently, her eyes literally seemed to glow like an emerald…

She was breathtaking.

And he owned her. Itachi gave a small, satisfied smile. She would never belong to another man like she did to him.

"I'm sorry I couldn't heal them anymore." Sakura whispered. "I only had a little bit of chakra left." She seemed to have mistaken his thoughtful gaze for one of disapproval. Itachi, of course, did nothing to dismiss the fact. He merely nodded.

"Hn."

Sakura felt her eyes become heavy as her shoulders sagged. She gave a small yawn. "I guess…I need some more sleep." She blinked a few times, trying to keep herself awake. She felt the warm blankets underneath her, and they called to her to slip inside and sleep. She would have willingly done so if she had the energy to do so.

She merely leaned against them, burying her face in the soft pillow. She felt the weight on the bed shift as Itachi stood. She lifted out her hand blindly, grabbing a small piece of his cloak as she peered up at him from beneath her long lashes.

"Itachi…could you maybe…stay?"

This was the moment she had waited for. Sakura breathed in deeply, wondering if he would see what she was thinking. If he could see the desperation in her eyes. She needed to hear his answer. She had to know if she had made the right decision in healing his eyes.

_Please, oh please for once…just do this. I have to know. I need to know if you care, just a little bit. Please tell me you care. Oh please, oh please…_ An inner voice cried out urgently. _Just answer, oh please answer…_

Itachi stared down at Sakura, trying to hide his surprise. Her hand gripped his cloak frantically, as if she were afraid to be alone. For a moment it struck him that perhaps she was. She had been a prisoner under Orochimaru and Tomokazu. Itachi knew that both of them were sick bastards. Who _knew_ what they had done to her.

She was afraid.

And she expected him to relieve her fears.

He could see the indecision, the need in her eyes for him to say something. She expected him to be something he wasn't. Comforting. Kind. Soothing.

Weak.

Itachi took her hand and gently laid it back down on the bed. Sakura continued to watch him, though her eyes threatened to close at any moment. She forced them open through sheer willpower alone.

Itachi walked around the bed to the door, and Sakura's heart sank. Her stomach plummeted and she felt sick, as tears rushed into her eyes. She blinked them back furiously. _What was I thinking? Of course he won't stay. He's a bastard…a cold, heartless bastard. And I just healed his eyes. I helped him so he can be even _more_ of a cold, heartless bastard…_

_I was wrong about him…_

_He can't change._

Sakura didn't even bother to look as the door opened. She merely buried her face in the pillow. She waited for the sound of the door closing behind Itachi, shutting her out of his mind and heart like he always did.

There was a soft click, and Sakura closed her eyes, letting the tears fall down her cheeks. She kept her shoulders from shaking, though she didn't know why. It was not as if anyone would see her cry.

And she wasn't going to let him hear her.

Suddenly there was the sound of someone dragging a chair across the room. Sakura's eyes opened, but she couldn't see, because her back was to the door, and the lamp had been turned off.

The sound of someone moving the chair ceased, and Sakura head someone sit down in it. She could feel the presence beside her bed. There was silence after that, however, as if the person in the chair wanted to remain inconspicuous and undetectable.

Sakura gave a feeble, half sob half laugh that barely made it past her lips as her eyes closed and she began drifting off to sleep. She wondered if Itachi had heard it.

A small something fluttered in her stomach, something that made her go warm from her head down to her toes. It reminded her of Itachi's kiss; only it wasn't exactly the same.

He'd stayed.

**(A/N: Awwwwww! Yay! Loved the little moment, didn't you? My sister said it made her smile, which is good. She is actually the one who insisted on what I like to call the 'sake scene' with Kisame. Ah, good times... I wasn't going to put it in but she said it added some humor to the chapter.**

**Well, just for a nice little piece of info and a hint for the next chapter, it's going on at the same time that the little Sakura/Itachi moment happened. So Chapter seventeen and chapter eighteen are happening at the same time. Just so you don't get confused.**

**I hope everyone likes this chapter. It's short, but touching, I think. I suppose the content makes up for the brevity of it. Well, this is going to be the last chapter for a little while, since I got it out before I finished cramming for my exams. And next semester…geeze I have SO many hard classes. I'll barely have enough time to breathe. But I promise that I won't stop writing. It'll just be a bit longer between chapters, which I'm sure will make everyone oh so very happy with me, since we all know everyone LOVES my cliffhangers. (Can you feel the sarcasm?)**

**Ok then, I have to go and study a whole bunch more so, buh-bye!**

**Oh, and review, review, review! (I love reviews. They make me feel all warm and bubbly inside.)**

**Lady Hanaka**

**a.k.a. the annoyed AP student who regrets ever signing up for AP classes…sigh…)**


	19. Chapter 18: Aftershock

**Chapter 18**

**Aftershock**

Shikamaru, Kakashi, Ino, Kankuro, and Kiba all sat down, leaning against trees as they tried to catch their breath. They'd been traveling for hours. After escaping from the Sound Village, they'd been heading nonstop to Stone. However, none of them were feeling very enthusiastic about their mission any longer.

Everything seemed to be going wrong.

"Dammit!" Ino sniffed. "I hate this! We're always so close! She's always just out of reach and then she's gone." She sat down hard on the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs as she brought them up close to her chest. "It isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair." Kakashi murmured softly, though he turned to look back at the path they had traveled through the forest. He listened for any noise of pursuit, but all that met his ears was silence. They weren't being followed.

Kankuro gave a loud sigh as he leaned against the tree. "Well, at least we know where's she's headed."

"He could be lying, you know." Kiba jerked his head at the silent figure who sat beside them. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time a Sound ninja has lied to us."

Akamaru gave a small whine, as if he didn't quite agree with the statement about the person in question. Of course, he probably felt inclined to defend the young boy who was adamantly scratching his head for him.

"I'm not lying." Atsuko frowned. "Sakura-sama said that she had been staying in Stone with the Akatsuki." He gave a small huff as he stopped rubbing Akamaru. "Why don't you believe me?"

"Because you're from Sound?" Kiba asked incredulously. "Duh!"

"Calm down Kiba." Shikamaru gave a loud sigh. "What reason would the little boy have for lying to us?"

Akamaru nudged Atsuko with his nose to get his attention, his tail thumping softly on the packed earth. Atsuko smiled at him as he continued to rub his stomach. Akamaru's tail wagged faster.

"See, Akamaru likes him, and he's a wonderful judge of character." Ino teased.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Akamaru likes anyone who will give him an ear scratch."

Akamaru yipped in protest, though he quieted down once more as Atsuko continued petting him. Atsuko let out a peal of laughter as Akamaru licked his cheek.

Ino smiled at him softly. "Look at him, he's just a little kid. He can't hurt anyone."

"Yeah? He sure tried to hurt _me_ before." Kiba muttered, massaging his arm. "He's a killer alright. Just you wait and see."

_Kiba and Akamaru headed down the hallway, sniffing for Sakura's scent. Kiba knew that Shikamaru had ordered him to stay with Ino and Kankuro, but Kankuro was handling it pretty well by himself, and Ino had merely stayed behind in case something went wrong. _

_Everyone knew that Akamaru's nose was the best way to get to Sakura quickly. _

_Akamaru let out a yip of excitement as he lunged through a doorway, his claws skidding on the stone as he tried to slow down so he wouldn't crash into the wall._

_"Whoa!" Kiba had to skid to a halt as well to keep from crashing into Akamaru._

_Akamaru shook his fur before he continued charging down the hall to his left. Kiba gave a small groan as he followed. Akamaru always had more energy than he did. They came down a hallway that was littered with Sound shinobi bodies._

_"Geeze…what happened here?" Kiba wondered aloud as he stepped towards the doorway that Akamaru was pushing his front paws against, barking madly. He scratched at it, whining._

_"Is she in there, boy?" Kiba grinned excitedly. "Great!" Kiba pushed against the door but it wouldn't budge. _

_"It won't open!"_

_Akamaru pressed his nose to the handle and gave a meaningful glance up at Kiba that said, 'I already tried pushing on the door. You're the smart one, turn the knob'._

_Kiba ignored the silent jab as he opened the doorway, slipping inside easily. "Sakura! I'm here to—" He was cut off as kunai shot at him from three different places. He lunged backwards, tripping over Akamaru who had been behind him, and tumbling head over heels backwards into a crumpled pile in front of the doorway. _

_"What the hell?" Kiba yelled out. "You're a kid!"  
The little boy frowned. "I am not. I'm a shinobi."_

_"How old are you, like _two_?"_

_"Fibe." The boy answered seriously. "And we start training at six so I'm not a little boy."_

_Kiba stood shakily, noticing that the little boy was still standing in a fighting pose. He held a kunai in his grip, though it wavered slightly. Kiba gave a loud sigh, holding out his hand. "Here kid, give me the kunai before you hurt yourself."_

_"No!" The boy called out. "You're an enemy shinobi."_

_"Listen kid, I'm not here to fight you." Kiba squatted down. "Now why don't you just tell me where the pink-haired woman who was held here is?"_

_"You mean Sakura-sama?" The boy asked quizzically._

_"Hai!" Kiba grinned. "Sakura! You know where she is?"_

_"She was here." He pointed to the cell behind him. "But not any more. Tomokazu came and took her away before the Cloud Men came."_

_"Cloud Men?" _

_"Uh-huh!" The little boy nodded. "They wore black cloaks with red clouds. They came in through the wall and they…they…" The boy sniffled slightly. "They killed 'em all."_

_"Killed who?"_

_"The shinobi." The boy whispered, his eyes darting to the bodies littering the hallway. "…and my daddy…"_

_Kiba gave a small sigh. "Those aren't Cloud Men, they're Akatsuki. This means that they came here. Can you tell me which way they went?"_

_The boy shook his head. "I didn't see. I ran and hid behind the door 'cause I was scared." The boy's chin wobbled. "I'll never be a good shinobi, will I?"_

_Kiba resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't have time to deal with a crying little kid right now. He needed to get to Sakura. He turned to Akamaru. "Akamaru, can you sniff out Sakura's…scent?"_

_Akamaru was slightly preoccupied, his tail wagging as the little boy petted him._

_"Akamaru!" Kiba groaned out. "You're supposed to be finding Sakura!"_

_"If the Cloud Men are Akatsuki, then I know where Sakura-sama went." The boy answered back truthfully, his face earnest. "She said that she had stayed somewhere with them before, and so that's where they probably still were."_

_"Really?" Kiba got a serious look on his face. "Are you sure?"_

_The boy nodded solemnly. _

_"Where did they go?"_

_"I won't tell you."_

_"Why not?" Kiba roared out._

_"Because you're mean."_

_Kiba gave a loud moan of frustration as he frowned. "Now listen here…" He stopped as the little boy hid behind Akamaru—and promptly stuck his tongue out at him._

_Kiba resisted the urge to do anything he might regret as he gave a loud sigh. "Well, I know a nice lady who isn't mean at all." _Che, that's a lie. Ino's a witch. _"If you come with me, maybe you can tell _her_ where Sakura is."_

_The boy seemed to think it over for a long time, and then he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, ok!"_

_Kiba gave a small sigh of relief as he motioned for the little boy to follow him. "Alright kid. Are you sure that Sakura isn't here anymore?"_

_"She isn't…the Cloud Men took her."_

_Kiba began a streamline of curses but was forced to stop when the little boy kept asking him what they meant._

_He merely collected himself before turning back to the boy, "What's your name?"_

_"Atsuko." _

* * *

Deidara sat down in the bar, his face serious as he shifted on the seat. He and Sasori were the only ones inside other than the bartender. Once word had gotten around that members of the Akatsuki were in residence, the place had emptied out pretty quickly. 

Deidara swirled the drink in his cup, watching the liquid ripple and splash against the sides of the ceramic glass. _I wish I were an alcoholic like Kisame. Then I could drink enough to forget about all of this, yeah._

"Are you going to cry?" Sasori asked, annoyed.

Deidara looked up at him with a frown. Sasori was watching him curiously, as if he were trying to understand what Deidara was thinking.

"No, yeah." Deidara answered, and then began again. "I mean _no_, yeah." He gave a loud sigh as he frowned, "I mean—you know what I mean, yeah."

"You're drunk."

Deidara gave another loud sigh as he took a contemplative sip of his sake. "Yeah."

Sasori leaned back in his chair, not drinking anything. Of course, that was normal for the puppet master Akatsuki member. He didn't really need to drink, after all. "Stop worrying."

"Do you think Sakura-chan is ok?" Deidara wondered aloud, as if he hadn't even heard Sasori's comment. He turned to him with a small smile. "Well?"

"Itachi went to get her."

_I knew you'd say that._ Deidara mused silently, giving an ironic toast to an invisible opponent. _A score for me, yeah._ "And is that supposed to mean something, yeah?"

"Well," Sasori watched him intently, his eyes cold. "You're jealous."

"What makes you think that, yeah?"

"It's annoying." Sasori continued, "Akatsuki don't mope."

"I'm not moping, yeah!" Deidara countered with a frown. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're going to break that cup if you hold it any tighter, Deidara-san." Sasori commented vaguely, motioning to the one in Deidara's hand.

Deidara immediately loosened his grip—a little too much—and the cup slipped from his fingers. He gave a low curse as he picked up the cup, giving a small 'thank you' to anyone listening that the cup hadn't shattered. _You think I would have learned not to hold a cup so hard after Sakura-chan broke the one in her hand. _"That was stupid of me, yeah." _There I go thinking about her again, yeah._

"Yes. It was."

Deidara frowned again. "Since when did you decide to give me life lessons _father_?"

Sasori gave a sigh, as if he couldn't understand how Deidara could be so immature. This didn't help Deidara's mood. Sasori continued to watch him coolly, which _also_ added to Deidara's irritation.

"You're letting her affect you too much. You were thinking about her the entire time we were on our mission." Sasori reprimanded. "You can't become distracted. If it had been a stronger opponent, you could have been hurt."

Deidara grinned, "I didn't think you cared, yeah."

"I would prefer not to get a new partner at this period of time." Was Sasori's only comment.

Deidara gave a loud sigh, as well as a rueful smile as he leaned his elbows on the bar. He refilled his sake cup, watching the liquid pool in the dish. He continued watching the amber-looking liquid, until it began to take on a reddish tint in his mind.

_It looks like blood. I'm so used to the color, I seem to see it everywhere._

_In my drinks. In my bath. In the tide on the beach._

…_in Sakura's tears…_

_So much blood, Deidara. Do you think Sakura could really love someone whose hands are stained with blood?_

Deidara blinked, which brought him back to reality. He immediately tipped up the small sake pitcher, seeing as how his sake cup was now overflowing onto the counter. "Damn." He muttered as he took a few napkins and soaked up the liquid. "How clumsy of me, yeah."

"Indeed, how clumsy." Sasori answered back dryly. "You were thinking about her again." It wasn't a question, merely a statement. Something Deidara couldn't argue.

"I'll try to refrain from doing so, yeah." Deidara commented softly, pushing the sake cup aside. He'd had enough drinks for one night. It was about time he and Sasori headed back to his home so they could finally meet up with Sakura again.

_There I go, thinking about my little Sakura-chan again._ Deidara laughed dryly. _I can't _stop_ thinking about her, can I?_

_I don't think I want to, yeah._

"Let's find a hotel for the night." Sasori rose from his seat, putting a few coins on the counter for their drinks. Deidara stood as well, following him out of the bar and into the cold night.

* * *

"Dammit! No! No! No!" Naruto raved as he paced around the room. "We screwed up big time!" 

"Calm down Naruto." Neji snapped irritably from where he sat on the couch. He and Hinata were seated in the large living room on the first floor of what they presumed to be Deidara's home in Stone.

Sasuke was standing by the window, looking out at the night sky and watching for any signs of enemy shinobi.

"What if this isn't even the house!?" Naruto began panicking. "I mean, there's a lot of other houses out here in Stone. It's a HUMONGOUS country!"

"How observant of you, loser." Sasuke commented from across the room.

Naruto stopped his pacing to glare at Sasuke, before resuming as he threw his hands up in the air. "We came to a dead end! Damn, why does this keep on _happening_!?" He blinked back his frustrated tears as he turned his back on Hinata and Neji, not wanting them to see him cry.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata whispered.

"What?" Naruto didn't mean to snap angrily.

Hinata stiffened, her face showing her hurt as she fumbled with the hem of her shirt. Tears filled her own eyes.

"That was wonderful, Uzumaki, I do believe all of Stone heard you that time." Neji commented sarcastically.

Naruto whirled around to curse at him when he saw Hinata's forlorn face. He immediately forgot about his ranting as he walked up to her, grabbing her hands in his. "Ne, Hinata-chan, I wasn't meaning to snap at you. You know that, right?"

"H-hai…" Hinata sniffled, blindly wiping the tears from her eyes.

Naruto got a guilty look on his face as he fumbled inside of his pocket. He pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to her. "Here."

"Thank you." Hinata whispered as she took it, though she didn't use it to wipe her eyes. She merely held it in her hands, wringing it in distress.

"I guess I'm just angry about all of this." Naruto muttered as he sat down on the couch beside her. "I mean, I thought we were so close to getting Sakura back and now…now I don't know if we ever will."

"Of course we will." Neji snapped. "We'll stay here until the Akatsuki arrive and then we'll find out where Sakura is."

"Stay here?" Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. "In the Akatsuki's house?"

"Why not?" This time it was Sasuke who answered. "They're not here. It's the perfect place to set a trap."

"I s-suppose." Hinata murmured.

"We'll stay on the first floor." Neji decided. "We'll have two shifts, myself and Lady Hinata, and then Uzumaki and Sasuke."

"Right." Hinata and Naruto answered the affirmative.

Sasuke just nodded.

"Hn."

Neji closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch. "Uzumaki, you and the Uchiha have the first watch."

Naruto didn't even complain as he nodded wearily. Hinata curled up in a ball on the couch, and Naruto held her close, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. At first she stiffened, but then she seemed to relax in his arms, and Naruto heard her breathing evenly as she fell asleep.

He turned to see Sasuke staring at him intently, though he immediately turned to look outside when he met Naruto's searching gaze.

Naruto wondered if he was thinking about himself and Sakura.

* * *

Tsunade walked down the hallway, or rather, she staggered. She stumbled over her own feet, throwing her arm up to stop from slamming into the wall. She gave a small giggle at the absurdity of the thought of the Gondaime Hokage sprawled out across the floor. 

She waved a hand in front of her face. Was it hot, or was it just her? She gave another robust laugh. "It's just me." She twirled around with another laugh, the sake in her glass threatening to spill.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasped out as she looked out of the Hokage's office, wondering at the commotion. "You're drunk!"

"I reckon I am!" Tsunade grinned rather stupidly. _I am completely flummoxed, hammered, and foxed, thank you very much. I don't get _drunk She continued laughing at her own inane joke as Shizune watched her worriedly.

"What happened?" Shizune whispered, "Did something happen to Sakura-chan?" She came up beside the swaying Tsunade, letting her lean on her shoulder to steady herself.

Shizune carefully led Tsunade down the next few feet to the door to the Hokage's office. "Be careful."

Tsunade nodded. "I'm fine. I'm…th'Okage aftur all." She mumbled drunkenly, her words slurring. "I don't get drunk. Drunk is fur sober people." Tsunade blinked a few times, tripping over her own feet.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gasped out as she grabbed onto her in an attempt to keep her from falling over. Tsunade's full weight fell onto her and Shizune let out a grunt as she pushed Tsunade inside of the Hokage's office with all her strength.

"What's wrong with you?" Shizune demanded the moment she had Tsunade securely in a chair.

Tsunade merely took another sip of her sake. "What do you mean?"

"You're never this drunk." Shizune crossed her arms over her chest. "You are the Hokage now, Tsunade-sama. You have to keep your wits about you. You have Konoha to worry about now. We can't be led by a drunken Hokage in our time of need."

"An' why would they be 'in need'?"

Shizune stared at her in completely surprise. "Tsunade-sama! Sound is amassing an army against us! Orochimaru has all but declared war on Konoha!"

"Oh?" Tsunade blinked. "Is that so?"

Shizune gave a loud sigh. "Hai, _Tsunade_…" She got ready to give a lecture, but was stopped from continuing.

Tsunade shrugged. "Well, it ain't like Oro…Orochi…oh to hell with it. It's not like the bastard is gonna take us on fur real now."

"What do you mean?" Shizune's brows furrowed in confusion. "What happened? What news did you bring from Sand?"

"Well." Tsunade giggled. "It's funny actually." She motioned for Shizune to lean closer. She did so. "Shikamaru 'n his group they sent me a little note 'n I got it before it came to my office here." She pointed around the room for good measurement. "An' I opened it and read it and guess what?"

"What?"

"Orochimaru doesn't have his arm's healed." Tsunade began laughing hysterically. "He can't fight anything! A kitten could kick his ass!"

"What do you mean?" Shizune's brows furrowed. "How does Shikamaru know?"

Tsunade crooked her finger, motioning for Shizune to come even _closer_. Shizune bent her face down to her's, so that their noses were almost touching.

"Sakura…isn't with Orochimaru. She was _rescued_."

"WHAT!?" Shizune gaped. "She's with Shikamaru!? We found her?" Her heart soared.

Tsunade's laughter began dying, as she took another swig of her sake. "Not exactly."

"Nani?"

Tsunade snorted into her cup. "This is hilarious, it really is. Just listen." Tsunade began giggling as she downed another sip. "She was rescued…by the _Akatsuki_." Tsunade continued laughing as Shizune stared at her, not comprehending.

"She was…recaptured?"

"How ironic is that, ne?" Tsunade began, shoulders shaking and head bent as she took another drink. "Shikamaru 'n th'others find 'er 'n she gets kidnapped again. Way to go Sakura-chan. She's my apprentice ulright."

Shizune stared down at her, not seeing how Tsunade could be taking it so well. Then she realized that Tsunade wasn't laughing anymore. Tears splashed onto the carpet. Her shoulder's continued shaking, only this time, it was because she was crying.

_Oh Tsunade-sama…you didn't…_Shizune watched her sympathetically. _You've been drinking to forget, haven't you? Just like that _other_ time. How can you do this to yourself? _

Tsunade drew in a deep breath. "They were so close and now she's gone again." Tsunade managed between sobs. "I can't help but think it's my fault she's in this mess. I shouldn't have made her my apprentice."

"Don't say that!" Shizune snapped out. "Sakura-chan has saved many people's lives. People who would have died otherwise. And you can't blame yourself. Sakura wanted your teachings. What would have happened if she had gotten them from someone else? She may have become an entirely different person! You can't dwell on 'what ifs' because we'll never know what would have happened otherwise."

"Shizune?"

"Hai?"

"You're my only friend!" Tsunade wailed as she latched onto Shizune's waist and pressed her face into her stomach.

Shizune attempted to pry Tsunade's arms off of her with a loud sigh. "You're tired and emotional. You should go get some sleep."

"Nah." Tsunade whispered. "I'm fine." She made no attempt to release Shizune.

The door opened and Jiraiya walked inside, taking one look at Tsunade and grinning. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Shizune looked down and blushed slightly, realizing what Jiraiya was probably thinking. "Of course not!"

"Ah." Jiraiya grinned even more, as if he didn't quite believe her, until he skeptically gazed at Tsunade, giving a small frown. "You're drunk."

"I am not GODDAMN drunk!" Tsunade roared as she stood to punch him, though she swayed and fell backwards, landing in the chair.

Shizune gave another sigh. "Jiraiya-san, can you take her to her room?"

"Yeah." Jiraiya nodded. "Let's go Tsunade." He apparently didn't need any explanation. Of course, he had been Tsunade's partner in their shinobi squad. He had probably carried her home drunk many times before this.

Tsunade looked as if she was going to protest, but merely let Jiraiya help her up. She leaned against him for support as they headed out the doorway.

Shizune watched them go down the hallway, her gaze still worried. She saw Jiraiya bend down and whisper something in Tsunade's ear, then saw Tsunade smack him across the face.

"There's not enough beer in the world, Jiraiya!"

Shizune gave a small laugh as she watched them go, before heading back inside. As she did, her smile faded. She sat down in Tsunade's desk, looking over the shinobi mission forms. She gave a loud sigh.

How much longer was she going to have to explain to Sakura's parents that they had come so close and failed yet again?

* * *

Orochimaru stared at Tomokazu, his gaze dark and serious. Of course, his dissatisfaction was nothing compared to Tomokazu's fury. The sound shinobi who had come with Orochimaru shrunk back in fear, their eyes wide as they watched him. 

"She took it…" Tomokazu gripped the box in his hands, his knuckles white as he glared down at the small black object. Orochimaru was surprised it didn't burst into flame.

Tomokazu gave a small, rueful laugh as he looked up at Orochimaru, meeting his eyes. Orochimaru almost winced, which was very unlike him. He'd never felt intimidated by someone before. Now, he was having second thoughts.

"I thought we had a deal." Tomokazu hissed.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "We did. But Sakura didn't come through with _her_ end." He motioned to his arms with a sneer. "See?"

Tomokazu snorted. "The deal was for me to bring Sakura Haruno to you. I did that."

"Well that's a moot point now, isn't it?" Orochimaru leaned back in his chair. "After all, not only is the scroll gone, but Sakura Haruno as well."

"You should have let me kill them." Tomokazu answered back.

"Fight Itachi Uchiha on your own time." Orochimaru ordered. "You have more important things to deal with right now. Kabuto is dead. I need a replacement. I can't hold this pain at bay much longer."

"Shut up." Tomokazu muttered. "I don't give a damn about your arms."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. His men watched him warily, looking from him to Tomokazu.

"You're pushing it, Tomokazu." Orochimaru warned, his eyes narrowed to mere slits.

Tomokazu remained casual, though he answered back cruelly, his charming smile still on his face. "So are you, Orochimaru."

"Watch how you speak to Orochimaru-sama!" One of the Sound Jônin hissed.

Tomokazu turned to look at him, before he appeared behind him. As the man stood there, frozen in surprise, Tomokazu grabbed his head in both hands, twisting it. His neck broke with a sickening crack. He dropped like a dead weight.

The other sound shinobi took a step backward.

"Watch how you speak to _me_, fool." Tomokazu muttered coldly to the corpse, stepping on it as he headed back to where Orochimaru sat.

"One week, Orochimaru."

"One week, for what?" Orochimaru questioned, eyes narrowing once more.

"To get me my scroll back." Tomokazu answered. "If it isn't here in that period of time…" Tomokazu gave him a polite smile. "Then the pain in your arms will feel like a pleasant memory."

Tomokazu then turned away abruptly, his Akatsuki cloak flowing. "I expect it to be on time."

"You're a fool to believe that I would ever stoop so low as to follow _your_ orders…" Orochimaru began, but cut himself off as Tomokazu turned to look at him with a small smile.

He merely held up one finger. "A week, Orochimaru. That's seven days, if you're as bad at math as you are at everything else. Don't forget." Then he disappeared.

Orochimaru watched him go. The moment he could no longer feel his presence, he allowed himself to breath normally. No matter what anyone said, there was someone that scared Orochimaru more than Uchiha Itachi.

And that someone had just given him a job to do.

He was damn well going to follow through with it.

**(A/N: …sigh…this chapter…was actually kind of boring. I'm sorry you guys. I really, truly am. This chapter was nothing to look forward to, really. It was just kind of there. **

**Other than the little Deidara part and the 'Tomokazu and Orochimaru conflict', this chapter had no theme, or pizzazz, or really anything at all. It was just kind of a filler. I tried to make it a little humorous so you didn't all fall asleep.**

**I suppose that's what happens when you write a chapter after you think you've failed an exam…sigh…I hate math. **

**I honor and hold in awe anyone who can do math and likes to do it. More power to you. I just can't. I suck at it. Well, ok, I could probably do it if I applied myself but...I just don't like math. I would so much rather be drawing--or writing this! I sit in class and I try and take notes and the thought that pops into my head is: Man, _I would rather be drawing right now_! And so usually, I do draw. I made a nice sketch of my hand on my notes one time…I even come up with a few ideas for A Ripple in the Pond, surprisingly enough. (heh, maybe this boring part was done in there. It mirrors my mood)**

**Well, anyway, now that I'm sure you all believe I'm a lazy student, it wasn't entirely my fault that I might have failed. (of course, I'm a perfectionist, so when I say I fail; it probably means a very low B or maybe a C…) Dear God please don't let it be a C…**

**Ok, so it was actually the teacher's fault sort of. (I usually don't blame teachers, they try really hard, you know). But the one chapter that he didn't teach us, the ONLY one he didn't grind into our brains…was the one that eighty percent of the questions were on. **

**It was horrible.**

**But that's ok! I know I passed all of my other exams with flying colors, so hopefully the next chapter will be wonderful! Especially since I have a four-day weekend. Yes…**

**All right, aside from my ramblings, I actually have some important information to impart to you all:**

**The next chapter is going to be awesome. Or at least, I hope so. I'm trying to make up for the 'blah' of this one. Lots of Sakura, lots of Itachi…and maybe a shower. **

**All three of them together? Who knows? Hehehe… (evil smile) I guess it depends on how depressed I get about the math exam.**

**Thank you for putting up with my inane nonsense! (Because we all love crazy people)**

**Lady Hanaka**

**P.S. since I feel crappy today, here's a wonderful word of advice to make you smile:**

**If life gives you lemons, find an annoying little kid with a paper cut. :)**

**I hope it made you smile! Maybe I'll put little words of advice or little life questions and sayings at the end of every chapter, just to make everyone feel all warm and fuzzy inside—and to make them forget they've failed a math test.) So, tell me what you think about the idea.**

**Buh-bye!**

**P.S. Can't wait till the next chapter. It'll be an…eye opener. However, no OOCness will be allowed.)**


	20. Chapter 19: Sex, Steam, and Sharingan

**All right…I've just gotten a hot haircut and ate some pancakes. I am so totally ready to make this chapter kick ass! Enjoy. :) I know you guys are all dying to read this chapter, especially after reading the title, ne?**

**Chapter 19**

**Sex, Steam, and Sharingan**

Sakura blinked sleepily as she gave a small sigh of contentment. It was the first good sleep she'd had in a long time. A very long time. Of course, it was her first night in a real bed for weeks. The small cot that she had sat on in Orochimaru's 'death cell' didn't count.

She stretched lazily, uncurling like a cat, arching her back as she pulled her arms high over her head. She felt her shirt fly up over her legs, but she didn't really pay any attention as she merely lay there again, letting the sun warm her skin. Sun that came from an open window.

Wait. Open window? She blinked a few times, sitting up. The window had been closed the night before. In fact…Itachi had closed it. Sakura blinked a few more times, before turning to look over her shoulder.

Sure enough, he was sitting there in his chair, watching her with the cool, casual gaze that was his trademark. Something in her stomach stirred as she remembered the night before.

_Itachi…could you maybe…stay?_

He'd stayed all right. And from the looks of it, he'd stayed the _entire_ night. _What a gentleman. I can't tell him though, it would spoil the moment._ She hid a small laugh as she smiled at him. "Good morning Itachi."

"Hn."

She supposed that was as good as a response as she would get out of him.

She wondered what his next line would be. Or rather, she wondered what he'd say if she said thank you. She could picture it now, him looking at her boorishly and merely answering back: _"I had to make sure you didn't try and run away during the night."_

She hid another laugh. Itachi would never admit to having a heart. But she supposed he did. As withered, blackened, and miniscule it was. It was still there. Still whole for the most apart.

Of course, when would the infamous Itachi Uchiha have ever had the time or the desire to deal with women? He'd probably never had a girlfriend his entire life, so no one could have broken it to begin with.

_That doesn't mean he hasn't had sex before of course._ She corrected herself instantly. Then she stiffened, feeling her body go cold at a sudden memory. _I mean, with other women. Not me. Not that time…_She rubbed her arm as she looked at him.

For some odd reason, the memory of her rape drifted to the back of her mind as another emotion surfaced. She gave a start when she realized it was jealousy. Why on earth should she have been jealous of the doubtless multitude of women who Itachi had slept with? _I'm not jealous._

"How are you?" _Damn that was a stupid question!_

"Hn."

Sakura gave a small sigh as she looked down at the bandage on her leg. Once she got some food in her, she'd regain enough energy to hopefully close the wound. Then she'd save up enough to fix the soreness of it later.

And then heal Itachi's eyes of course. That was a given.

Sakura blinked as she realized that she had instantly fitted him into her schedule. There was no doubt in her mind now that she would heal him. She supposed, even if it was absurd and foolish of her to think so, that he deserved this much.

She had no regrets.

That's what scared her. She realized suddenly that she'd just helped an s-class criminal become stronger, more adept. More able to kill again. To kill people like Naruto, for his Kyuubi.

Like he had killed Temari.

Sakura frowned to herself. She couldn't, _wouldn't_ allow herself to think about that. She was going to be strong. She needed to be strong, like Temari had told her before. Death was merely a part of life.

The end of it.

Sakura gave a faint, sad smile.

She had no regrets.

It was the first lesson that Itachi taught her. _Never do something you will be ashamed of later._ She wasn't ashamed of it. She realized that sooner or later she would have done it. She was glad it had been sooner.

Her smile grew happy as she turned to look at Itachi, who was still watching her curiously.

He had watched her awaken. He'd known the moment she had done so. It was a simple thing to do. After all, she always seemed to have to stretch in the morning. Like a cat.

A lithe, graceful, and agile cat.

Very flexible.

A strange quote from Kisame came to his mind: _"You know what they say about flexible women. Great sex."_ Itachi blinked once. Why on earth was he thinking about Kisame's women advice? It wasn't as if it had ever worked for Kisame before. Of course, being a blue skinned fish-man probably didn't help the situation. And why on earth had Itachi actually _remembered_ one of Kisame's stupid mottos?

She seemed to be in a good mood as she looked around the room, and then turned to him. She looked better in the light than she had in the dark. He had been taking everything in with his more acute eyesight. When the sun had begun shining, he had opened the window to look outside and see how much more he could spot now that his sight was halfway fixed.

For a moment he had felt like a kid in a candy store, looking around at everything with a simple, childlike joy, the colors all so bright and clear. Of course, it hadn't lasted more than a second. A second later he was using his new eyes to scout the surrounding forest for enemy shinobi.

A true shinobi didn't have time to be childish. He'd learned that at a young enough age.

What was the point?

Fun didn't gain you anything. Merely a moment of laughter, a moment of _happiness_. You didn't get anything of value in return for it. Nothing long lasting or worthwhile. It was foolish and immature.

"Why was the window open?" Sakura asked cheerfully.

Itachi looked up at her, instantly coming up with an answer. "This room is unventilated."

"Oh." Sakura nodded. "Well, it's nice now. I'm surprised it isn't cold. I missed the sunshine." Sakura slipped out of the covers, gingerly touching the ground with her good leg, putting all of her weight on it as she slowly headed to the window. The shirt she wore—Sasuke's old one—skimmed her thighs as she walked. She leaned out the front, looking at the small town that bustled beneath her window.

She was content. She hadn't had time to really look and enjoy the sights in a long time. Too busy with ANBU missions before and then, well, everything else that had happened to her. She took it all in, letting it seep in through her skin, the smell of fresh foods in the outdoor market, the sounds of children running and playing, and feeling of the nice breeze that wafted through the air.

Itachi drank in the look of wonder on her face. It perplexed him, how someone could become so engrossed in something as simple as a busy morning in town. But Sakura always seemed to find happiness and peace in such things.

She always found the color in the black and gray world.

She found kindness and happiness where none really existed. It was a dreamlike world she spun, something that Itachi would have to take her out of one day, and show her the true world that she refused to live in.

The one she had seen in Sound.

"Well." Sakura looked down at herself. "I'm completely dirty." She ran her hands over Sasuke's shirt, as if she didn't really want to take it off. "I'll have to get this washed later."

"Hn."

Sakura watched as Itachi stood. She knew he was probably bored, or annoyed with her constant talking. It wouldn't have surprised her. She watched as he headed to the door, for once not feeling panic. She knew he wasn't going to lock her inside. She was certain of it.

"I'm leaving. Kisame is in the room next door."

"Alright." Sakura nodded as Itachi left the room.

For once, she felt as if he had trusted her a little. After all, Kisame was no doubt drunk as a skunk. He couldn't possibly catch her before she sneaked out. Of course, she was injured and barely had any chakra.

And no doubt she was fooling herself about gaining some of Itachi's trust and he actually had a million chakra bonds on the hotel exits as well as windows.

That would be just like him.

Sakura gave a small shake of her head as she slowly headed to the bathroom, grabbing up the Akatsuki yukata and slacks that had been made for her. She'd heal herself after her shower.

* * *

Kisame gave a loud yawn as he awoke, rubbing his head as he gave a small groan. Dammit, he had a headache. _Che. That kunoichi was right, that sake wasn't good._ He gave a small groan, before he broke into a grin. _It was great. Man, I got drunk off of that quick. Does that girl have alcohol in her blood or something? _An evil thought came to mind as he headed to the bathroom.

_If so, I might just resort to vampirism._

Of course, he didn't really feel like dealing with Itachi, so the little daydream ended quickly. He walked into his bathroom, dragging his feet along the tile as he closed the door behind him, heading to the shower.

He slipped off his clothing, getting inside as he turned the cold water on. It hit his face full blast and he gave a small yelp, fully awake. "And people say a cold shower won't sober you up."

"It won't." Came a feminine voice from the doorway.

"Dammit kunoichi!" Kisame grabbed the shower curtain, pulling it so it covered all the…necessary parts. "Don't you know how to knock?"

Sakura couldn't help but giggle at his embarrassed face, as well as the fact that the cold water was spraying down on his head, making him look like a sad, wet puppy. "Of course not. _My mother didn't teach me manners_." She repeated his statement from the night before.

Kisame resisted the urge to stick out his tongue. He wasn't going to stoop to her level…He didn't seem to realize that he was already there. He'd set the bar. He gave a small frown, before raising an eyebrow. "Why are you in here kunoichi?"

Sakura headed to the sink, looking through the cupboards. "Conditioner, of course. There's none in my room. I thought maybe the maid just forgot to put some in my room—either that or someone stole it. There's some in every hotel room so I decided to check yours."

"Well the only bottle is in _here_. Of course, if you come in with me I promise I'll share." Kisame grinned.

Sakura raised one eyebrow.

"Come on, it's not like you haven't seen a man—kunoichi!" Kisame growled out in surprise as Sakura slid her hand into the shower, behind the curtain—and grabbed the conditioner bottle. Her hand almost grazed Kisame's skin, but he jumped back to keep her from coming in contact with anything _Itachi_ might demand recompense for.

"I didn't think you were so modest." Sakura snickered as she waved to him, the conditioner in one hand. "Ja!"

Kisame stood there stupidly, watching her walk out of his hotel room, leaving the bathroom door completely open. He finally remembered to close his mouth when it began going dry.

_What's gotten _her_ into such a good mood?_

* * *

"Well," Shikamaru gave a loud sigh. "Let's get going."

"Shhh." Ino put a finger to her lips, motioning to the little boy that slept in her lap. "You'll wake Atsuko-chan."

Kiba rolled his eyes.

Shikamaru gave a small sigh, lowering his voice. "Is _this_ better? All right, listen. We need to get going as soon as possible. Atsuko said that the Akatsuki would probably head back to Stone, so that's where we're going." _I've gone over this a million times in my head. I think I have all the kinks out of the plan. That is, if we make it to Stone in time to go through with it._

"Right." Ino and Kiba nodded.

Kakashi landed on the ground silently. "We're almost at the border of Grass. I saw a few patrols of Grass ANBU to the north of here. Technically, we don't have any valid reason to go through their country. Our passports aren't legitimate at the moment."

"All because we're coming from Sound?" Ino asked.

"Hai." Shikamaru nodded. "The legal system is a little messed up. No one is allies with Sound. That means anyone coming out of it into another country without valid reasoning is…well…the enemy. Since we're Konoha shinobi they won't kill us or attack us, but they will keep us from entering."

"And here I thought Grass were our allies." Kiba muttered. "So much for that."

"Besides, even if they did decide to let us through because we're Konoha shinobi…Atsuko-chan is from Sound." Ino looked down at the sleeping boy. "They would never let him in. They'd kill him."

"He IS an enemy shinobi." Kiba countered.

"No he isn't." Ino snapped back. "He already told us, they don't start training to become shinobi until age 6. He's five. So there."

Kiba stuck his tongue out at her.

"Stop it you two." Shikamaru murmured. "We're thinking of a way to stay OUT of all this."

Suddenly Kankuro appeared. "Five Grass shinobi heading this way from the northwest. They look like ANBU. I think they've spotted us."

"But we aren't in Grass yet!"

"They're here to patrol the border. We're awfully close. And any ninjas that aren't allied with them are immediately seen as enemies. We're in Sound, which makes us suspicious. Besides…" Kankuro rubbed the back of his neck. "They still don't completely trust the Sand village yet."

"You did try and destroy Konoha and take over, which made you declare war on Grass as well, since it was our ally." Kiba answered casually.

"Whatever." Kankuro gave a loud sigh. "Let's just go, alright?"

Ino picked up the still sleeping Atsuko. "We can't just explain it to them?"

"Sure," Kiba answered back sarcastically. "We'll just say, 'I'm sorry misters, we didn't mean to get close to your border. We're looking for the Akatsuki. What are we doing in Sound, you ask? Oh, nothing, we just like the weather here. The boy? Of course he's not from Sound, he's a nice little orphan we found in the woods.'"

"There are so many things wrong with that." Kankuro sighed.

"Come on." Kakashi ordered. "We're leaving. They're almost on us."

"Oi." Kiba came up beside Ino. "Hey Ino, you can't carry the kid."

"Oh, are you going to be a gentleman and carry him yourself?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not." Kiba frowned. "Akamaru's going to carry him."

Akamaru gave a small whine, as if he didn't quite agree with the idea. Kiba looked back at him. "Come on, boy. It'll be easy for you." Akamaru gave what could almost be called a sigh as he stood still, waiting for Atsuko to be placed on his back.

"He's asleep." Ino pointed out. "He won't be able to hold on."

"Hey, you guys, the Grass shinobi are coming." Kankuro warned.

"Then tie him on!" Kiba growled out at Ino. Akamaru gave a small whine.

Ino opened her mouth to object, when Shikamaru turned to the two of them. "Fix it. Now." _We're never going to make it to Stone in time…what a drag._

Ino handed Atsuko to Kiba, who put him in the large pack on Akamaru's back, taking the rest of the things out. "Here. He can sleep in there. Now can we GO?"

"Fine." Ino crossed her arms over her chest.

Kankuro stared at them as if he couldn't understand how two shinobi could be so immature. Kakashi was too intent on the Grass shinobi who were quickly catching up to them to pay attention to the childish exchange.

Shikamaru rubbed his temple. _How can anyone _be_ this troublesome…?_ "Good. We've agreed to something. Now let's agree on something else. Get your butts moving and come _on_." _This is what I get for wanting to become an ANBU captain. _Shikamaru shook his head. _I knew I never should have become a shinobi._

"Right."

Shikamaru jumped onto the next limb, the others following behind him. "We're almost here. Kakashi, how many?"

"Three squads."

"Of ANBU?" Shikamaru raised one eyebrow. "They must have heard about the attack on Sound."

"Yeah. We're the ones who kicked their asses. We should get some congratulations, not an assault of kunai." Kiba muttered.

"Kiba's right." Ino murmured. "_Can't_ we just stop and explain it to the Grass shinobi?"

"No." Shikamaru shook his head. "Like Kakashi said, we don't have any valid reason to be here. This mission was kept hushed-up by Tsunade-sama. No one knows we're supposed to be here, and our passports don't say we're here on a mission. We're the enemy."

"This is so stupid." Kiba muttered under his breath.

_No time to listen to them blabber,_ Shikamaru thought to himself as they sped through the trees. _I've got three squads of ANBU after us, which means fifteen if they use five man squads like most villages do. We have to get out of Sound and into Stone as soon as possible. I have a feeling we're going to come against enough opposition in Stone, since we aren't their allies. I don't have time to be fighting people we're supposed to be working together with, whether they know it or not._

_What can I do to keep them occupied and off of our tail?_

"We need a diversion." Kankuro supplied, realizing that Shikamaru was probably already coming up with the same plan. "One of us needs to fall behind and keep them busy long enough for the others to get across the border and slip away undetected."

"But how would the person doing the diversion find us again afterwards?" Ino asked.

"They probably wouldn't. They'd just need to make their own alternate route to Stone after confusing the Grass ANBU." Shikamaru muttered. "Which means that its going to have to be someone who knows the layout of this land, as well as someone who can hold up against fifteen ANBU, if they do happen to attack."

"I'll go." Kakashi's voice was slightly muffled from beneath his mask.

"Right." Shikamaru nodded. "You're the best for the job. Meet us in Stone after you've gotten them off of our trail."

Kakashi merely nodded as he disappeared.

"Shikamaru…" Ino whispered worriedly as she sidled alongside him. "I don't know if that was a good thing to do. Kakashi has been acting weird ever since Sakura was captured. I mean, he's been like a dead man."

"Ino," Shikamaru answered back patiently, "Kakashi's entire world is falling down right now. Sasuke left, probably making Kakashi doubt his own teachings. Then, Naruto left to go find him. That left only Sakura. No doubt Kakashi and Sakura had grown very close, both worried about the other two members of their team. Then, when Sasuke and Naruto finally came back, and Sakura was captured, it probably felt like everything he knew was going down the drain."

Shikamaru continued explaining, seeing that everyone was listening in. "Kakashi has lost a lot of people in his life. Both of his teammates died, as well as his sensei. No doubt he was able to identify himself with Sakura, making their bond even stronger. His entire life he's dealt with loss, and now the one person he's probably the closest with is gone. He wants to get her back, and he'll do anything to do it."

"But he's changed." Kiba answered back truthfully. "He isn't like he used to be."

"No." Shikamaru murmured. "I guess not." _Loss changes people. It makes them take risks they normally wouldn't take. Kakashi doesn't want his team to have to suffer loss like his did. He doesn't want anyone on team 7 to have to be like he was._

* * *

Itachi walked down the hallway, his steps confident. He always walked that way, although it was understandable. He was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. He didn't have much to be afraid of.

He had patrolled the small town, making sure it would be safe for them to stay a few more days until Sakura had enough energy to heal his eyes. He felt almost like a drug addict. After having tasted a little bit of his new sight, he wanted even more. He wanted them completely healed. Then…then no one would be able to stand against him.

Not even the idiot Tomokazu.

Itachi allowed himself a smug smirk as he placed his hand on his doorknob, getting ready to turn it. He stopped immediately, pulling his hand away slowly as his eyes narrowed. He heard hushed voices from inside. He knew it wasn't Kisame; he was in his own room probably nursing a hangover. Sakura was in her own room in the shower.

Itachi leaned against the wall, slipping a kunai out of its pack and placing it between two of his fingers as he listened in on the conversation.

"It's not here." One of the voices whispered heatedly. "I can't find it anywhere."

"Orochimaru-sama is going to kill us all if we don't get it back, you know." The second voice reprimanded.

"It's not my fault! He doesn't have the scroll in his room, or in Kisame Hoshigake's room." The first voice began worriedly. "Where could it be? Do you think they sent it to their leader?"

_The scroll…_Itachi's eyes narrowed even more. _That's what they're after? _This only piqued Itachi's curiosity over the encoded scroll. It must have been very important, for Orochimaru to send a group of his Sound Jônin to get it back, even after being soundly defeated by Itachi and Kisame. _A second longer and I would have killed Tomokazu as well._

"You don't think they'd leave it in that little kunoichi's room, do you?" A third voice questioned.

"Not unless they're complete idiots. Apparently that scroll is more important to Orochimaru than the invasion of Konoha. He's called it to a halt. He says we will resume after we get the scroll back." A fourth voice answered back. He sounded like the leader of the group.

_Fools. _Itachi stepped away from the wall, pushing the door open casually. He didn't need to sneak or use a surprise attack. He could kill them just as quickly his own way. _What better way to hide the scroll than in a place you'll never think to look for it?_

"What the—It's him!" One of the Sound Jônin choked out. "Retreat—" He didn't get anything else out as he dropped to the ground.

The other three were a bit faster than their fallen comrade. Itachi coolly dodged their kunai, grabbing three of them on his way and throwing them precisely at the Sound ninja. He seemed to move faster now that his sight was sharper. All three of them fell without another sound, save for a few groans as they dropped to the ground in bloody heaps.

_They're weaker than they should be. Orochimaru isn't even trying._ Itachi thought as he looked over the corpses to see if they were booby-trapped. He grabbed the kunai from their bodies and took them with him. They wouldn't be using them where they were headed.

The door opened and Kisame walked inside, his Samehada slung across his back. "I sensed them outside your door, but I guessed you could take care of them." He grinned, "What did they want? Recompense for the little squirt the kunoichi killed?"

"Hn." Itachi stood, heading to the door as well, "Get your things. We're leaving."

"Going to get the kunoichi?" Kisame asked casually, "She's taking a shower. She just started so…well…never mind." Kisame hid a small smile. "Enjoy." Then he headed to his own room. "Just let me get my hat."

Itachi watched him go, one eyebrow raised. _Enjoy what?_

* * *

Sakura sat down on the bed, a frown on her face. She picked up the scroll with a small sigh. She might as well read it now. She _needed_ to if what it said was true. And the only way she could do that was if she read it _all_.

She placed her towel and clothes beside her on the bed as she opened the scroll. She skimmed a few more lines, eyes growing wide. _It can't be that simple. Surely there's something more to it?_

She heard a thump further down the hall, and she hurriedly wound the scroll back up, heart beating wildly. When nothing came of it, she reprimanded herself for her foolishness.

She slid it open once more, continuing to read.

She traced the diagram with one finger, eyebrows knotted in confusion. _No wonder this was sent to the Hokage. If anyone else knew…_ Her eyes widened.

_If _Tomokazu_ knew. _She suppressed a shiver as she studied the diagram, reading the information below it. _Is it really possible though?_

When she came to the bottom of the scroll, she rolled it back up thoughtfully. She tucked the scroll into the traveling pack Itachi had supplied for her, next to her Akatsuki cloak and hat. _I can't believe they got those for me. They really must have believed they'd get me back._ She was closing the pack back up when a thought came to her.

_Why didn't Deidara come to save me?_

She had maybe expected Kisame, but she had wholeheartedly been waiting for Deidara. And he hadn't come…did he not care for her as much as she had thought?

…did _Itachi_ care for her more?

_Well, I won't dwell on it. I'm dirty. I'll ask Deidara himself when I see him._ Sakura assured herself as she headed to the bathroom, taking her clothes and her newly commandeered conditioner.

She closed the door behind her, slipping off her shirt, underwear, and bra. She gave a small, disgusted sigh as she looked over her dirty body in the mirror. The scars on her back seemed to jump out at her. She'd always thought of them as repulsive, though Ino and the other girls had told her they only made her look stronger, more like a true kunoichi.

But deep within her heart, she didn't care if she looked like a real kunoichi. She wanted to feel and look like a woman.

Ino had told her she wasn't too terribly low in that category either.

Sakura looked down and supposed she could see where Ino was coming from. She gave a small grin as she undid the bandage on her leg. She gave a small frown as she surveyed the open wound.

She pushed some of her healing chakra—the last bit she had at the moment, and saw it close so that it was now only a small cut, though it still bled slightly. She'd fix that after she ate some breakfast and took a nice nap.

She turned on the water, placing her hand beneath the flow to judge when she thought the temperature was good enough for her. When she was satisfied, she stepped inside completely.

Sakura let out a small sigh of relief as the warm water hit her, washing down her back. A small pain spasm shot up her back, and she tentatively touched the biggest scar, which had always pained her. She supposed it would remain there forever, a reminder of her first ANBU mission, when she'd made a few more mistakes than she should have.

She'd been too worried she would meet Sasuke again. It had been a mission to Sound, to find a rogue Konoha shinobi who was heading there. Sakura hadn't been in charge of that mission, thank god. If she had, she wondered if her entire team would have died.

As it was, two of them had.

They hadn't been expecting fifty Sound Jônin to be waiting for them. When Sakura had seen them…she'd frozen. She'd looked at every single on of their face, wondering it behind one of those masks Sasuke watched her with his Sharingan.

She never found out. They'd had to retreat. Only she, her captain, and a mortally wounded ANBU had made it out alive. Sakura had healed the wounded shinobi, which was the only thing she took credit for.

Both she and her captain had been injured badly as well, but Sakura hadn't had enough chakra to heal herself, merely bind the wound. When she'd got back to Konoha, the medical shinobi said that even after they healed her wound, she'd always have a scar.

It was now merely one of many.

Sakura let the hot water relax her, taking away the soreness the scar had brought on. She ran the shampoo through her hair, before rinsing it out and placing the conditioner in.

She lathered her body in soap as she began the long process of washing away all her memories of the Sound Village, Orochimaru, and Tomokazu.

It was something she always did after a mission, especially one where she had killed someone. She'd take a nice, long shower, and mentally cleanse her mind, just so she could sleep at night. It never made her feel at peace, but it was as close as she believed she could get.

A small closure.

* * *

Itachi gave a small, irritated sigh when he saw that Sakura was still in the shower. He'd opened the door to her room only to find it empty. Her pack was lying neatly against the wall, and the entire room was clean and the bed made.

Steam issued from beneath the bathroom door.

Itachi slid the door open, immediately feeling himself engulfed with warmth as the steam wafted around him, as well as the floral scent of some type of shampoo. He didn't recognize it.

He looked around the small bathroom. He saw the yukata and slacks he had gotten for her lying on the counter, neatly folded, the Akatsuki obi placed atop it. Her shinobi sandals were by the door.

Itachi headed to the shower, lifted his hand to open the curtain.

However, he didn't get the chance to do so as Sakura slid it open.

There was a small moment of silence.

"Itachi!" Sakura finally gasped out, staring at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She didn't even try to hide herself as she watched him.

Itachi hadn't even noticed when the water had been shut off. He supposed he had been too preoccupied with looking around at Sakura's things. He silentl repidmanded himseld for it. He watched a few drops of water fall from her hair. They landed on her shoulder, sliding down her collarbone to the valley between her breasts.

"Itachi?"

Itachi looked up at her face, his own completely emotionless. "Hn."

Sakura gave a small sigh. "Why are you in here?" She leaned against the wall, arms folded over her chest. She didn't even know what an adorable, seductive pose she had take on, with her hair falling into her emerald eyes, which stared up at him expectantly.

It would have given a lesser man a nosebleed.

Of course, this was Itachi Uchiha. He wasn't about show how anything affected him. He merely answered her in his cool voice. "We're leaving."

"What?" Sakura's brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Some Sound shinobi have found us."

"Oh." Sakura gave a small sigh. "Alright. I'll get dressed."

Neither of them made to move.

Sakura eyed Itachi, "Can you give me some privacy?"

Itachi merely leaned against the wall. "I need to speak with you about something."

Sakura gave a loud sigh. "Very well…" She stepped out of the shower, slipping on her underwear. "What is it?"

Itachi looked out the doorway of the bathroom, to the small window in the room that Sakura had left open. "What is in that scroll?"

Sakura froze for a moment. "How would I know? I can't read it." She hoped she had lied convincingly enough. She placed on her bra.

Itachi turned back to watch her, hearing the small catch in her voice. "Hn." _She knows something about that scroll._ He stared out at her from behind charcoal bangs, his Sharingan blazing as his eyes narrowed.

"What was that for?" Sakura frowned at his small snort. "It's not that important anyway." She immediately shut her mouth, cursing herself inwardly. If Itachi had any doubts, they were erased now.

"What did it say?"

Sakura slid on her pants and the yukata. "Nothing."

Itachi came up behind her, slipping the obi around her slim waist. He pulled it tight, tying it expertly. He didn't move his hands when he had finished, however. "What does it say, Sakura?"

Sakura looked into the mirror, seeing his Sharingan reflected back at her. It then struck her how close they were. She hadn't been this close to him in a long while. She could smell that unique scent that was irrevocably his. It curled around her seductively, like a lover's caress. _Damn, he smells good._ She blinked. _Almost as good as he kisses_.

She was shocked by her thoughts as she leaned back, trying to get Itachi to let go of her. She merely felt herself fall against in immoveable wall. His chest. She felt the heat permeating from him, as the back of her neck touched the small bit of his chest that showed through his v-lined mesh top. She almost jumped at the contact, but stopped herself from doing so as she gave a small sigh. "I couldn't read it all. All I know is that it has something to do with the Sharingan. It could be anything."

Itachi let go of her, heading to the door. "Hn." Sakura didn't know if he was satisfied with the answer, of if he just wanted to wait to get the rest of the information out of her. Either way, it was fine with Sakura.

She slipped on her sandals. She wondered if Itachi had been thinking anything along the same lines as she had when they'd been so close together. Had he wanted to kiss her again? _Oh come on Sakura, you're starting to try and predict his thoughts like you do other people. You can't do that. Itachi is different than other people; his thoughts and actions are his and his alone. No one can predict them._

_Not even someone with the Sharingan._

Sakura gave a small frown as she headed into her room where Itachi waited for her. She slipped on the cloak and hat, trademarks of the Akatsuki, as well as her traveling pack. She unconsciously reached into the side pocket to see if the scroll was still there. It was.

She turned to see Itachi watching her with a small, knowing smirk. She opened her mouth to speak when Kisame opened the door. "Hello there kunoichi. It's good to see up and about. And fully clothed this time."

Sakura returned his smile. "I could say the same for you. How's your hangover?"

Kisame groaned. "You just had to bring it up, didn't you kunoichi? It hurts like hell."

"Good." Sakura answered readily. "Maybe that will teach you to stop drinking so much."

"Hardly."

"Let's go." Itachi's voice was slightly cold as he headed to the door. Kisame and Sakura exchanged looks. Hers was confused. His was understanding.

Kisame knew _exactly_ why Itachi was acting so snippy. He was mad at the free way Sakura and Kisame had been talking.

He was jealous.

_I never thought I'd see the day when Itachi Uchiha was jealous. Next thing you know he's going to be killing guys just for _looking_ at his little cherry blossom. _Kisame shook his head. _Well, at least the kunoichi isn't involved with anyone. I'd hate to see how that turns out._

_I feel sorry for Itachi's brother._

**(A/N: Ooh, the sexual tension is almost killing me. Ok, so it wasn't as steamy as it could have been. Of course, there wasn't much time for any of that, especially with more Sound ninja coming. Besides, it's hard to do scenes like that and still keep everyone in character. Especially Itachi. **

**I know everyone really wants to find out what's in that scroll. Hehehe…I know! My sister _might_ be close to figuring it out. She's been telling me all the things she thinks is in there and she's gotten pretty close!**

**All right, a four day weekend! Hopefully I will get another chapter out to you, though I can't promise anything. I spent an entire day at the computer getting this chapter to you. (with a few chocolate breaks of course :) What can I say? I was inspired. I love all of your reviews. When I read them, I just feel as if I have to start writing again. It's probably a good thing, or else I would never get these chapters out to you guys.**

**I'm going to hopefully be wrapping up this part of the story in the next few chapters. I'll be sure to tell you guys the next name, so you won't have to go searching for it. Of course, it'll be a few more chapters, so don't worry!**

**The show will definitely go on!**

**Yours truly, Lady Hanaka**

**P.S. Word of wisdom for today:**

**If someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and whack them in the head.**

**Sounds like something Sakura would do, ne? Hehehe. Buh-bye!)**

**  
**


	21. Chapter 20: A Tale of Two Sharingan

**Chapter 20**

**A Tale of Two Sharingan: The Killer and the Avenger**

_**The Avenger**_

Sasuke stared ou the window, absorbed in the silence of the night. He could hear the loud roar of the waves breaking on the rocks down at the beach, a few miles out. A small breeze played with his bangs, making them drift across his face. He looked to see Naruto drifting to sleep, blinking as he tried to keep himself awake. Neji and Hinata were sound asleep.

Sasuke merely went back to surveying the scenery outside of the window. _So…this is the house of an Akatsuki member. Not what I expected._ His eyes trailed across the flower gardens that shone beneath the moonlight. _It looks like a place Sakura would live in. Too many stupid flowers._

He looked back up at the sky, instantly recognizing two of the stars. They weren't anything special, or spectacular, two in a hundred million. They were like every other star. They had no name.

But to Sasuke they were very important. Especially the first. It seemed harmless and almost beautiful, as he watched it. But he would never believe that completely. That star was a bad omen, the source of his hatred and anger.

The star that had appeared the night Itachi had murdered Sasuke's family.

As Sasuke glared at it, it seemed to twinkle brighter just to annoy and anger him. His eyes narrowed as he continued to watch it. He could almost see the Mangekou Sharingan begin swirling inside of its bright depths, but it was merely an illusion.

He had seen the Mangekou in that star many times before, through angry, frustrated tears as he looked through his old window in the Uchiha compound, cursing his older brother. The one person in his clan besides his mother that he had thought actually cared about him.

The only other one who had told him he had actually amounted to something. Maybe he hadn't said it in so many words, but Sasuke had known that Itachi hadn't looked at him as merely being in his shadow. He had told him someday he would become a ninja.

He had made his father go to Sasuke's academy ceremony.

Sasuke's hands clenched into fists. _I don't know why you did it, Itachi…but I will kill you because of it. I will restore our Clan and make you pay…_He blinked twice, trying to make the few frustrated tears that had filled his eyes disappear.

_"Itachi, wait up!" Sasuke panted as he stumbled out the doorway. "Please!"_

_Itachi slowed his steps, looking back at his little brother. His gaze was cool and slightly annoyed as he raised an eyebrow. _

"_What do you want, Sasuke?"_

_Sasuke stared up at his brother, glowing with pride. His brother, the Uchiha prodigy. The great shinobi. Sasuke knew that no one else could say that about _their_ big brother. He held up his shuriken pack. "Can you help me train?"_

"_I need to train by myself."_

_Sasuke frowned slightly, getting a sad look on his face as he nodded. "Ok…" He whispered, sniffling. _Itachi never has time to help me. He's always busy with missions. He'll _always_ be busy, won't he?

"_Why don't you ask father?"_

_Sasuke looked up at, brows furrowed. "Daddy won't help. He's busy. He said to ask you."_

_Itachi gave a small sigh. "He did?"_

"_Hai!" Sasuke grinned at him. "So? Will you?" _

"_Why don't you ask mother?"_

_Sasuke pouted. "Mother isn't as good as you! I want you to help me!" _Oh please help me, Itachi. I want you to help me train! You're so good and strong! I want to be just like you when I get older.

"_Very well." Itachi began walking again. "Let's go."_

"_Really?" Sasuke's face broke into one big, happy smile as he hurried after him. "Right!" He held his shuriken pack close to him. "Thanks! I'll do good, I promise!"_

"_Hn."_

_Sasuke grinned. He couldn't believe that Itachi had agreed to help him train. _I bet nobody else has a big brother to help him train!_ He thought childishly. _Nobody has a brother like mine.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

Itachi jumped to the next tree limb, his footing sure and confident. He hadn't been able to see this well in the dark for a long while. He heard Kisame stumble slightly to his left. Still drunk.

"Oi, watch who you're falling on, Kisame!" Sakura grunted as she barely managed to keep from being hit by his Samehada. "You're not watching what you're doing."

"Don't lecture me kunoichi." Kisame muttered. "When I was your age, I knew how to respect my elders."

Sakura snorted. "Che. When you were _my_ age, Kisame, dinosaurs still roamed the earth."

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They were acting like children. Immature and juvenile prattle. There was no point in talking at a time like this. They were in enemy territory and the Konoha ANBU were probably still following them.

"That was cold, kunoichi." Kisame feigned hurt. "And here I thought you'd finally gained some warmth and womanly generosity.

"Yeah?" Sakura laughed dryly. "Sorry if I won't let you look at my chest. _Womanly generosity_ indeed."

Kisame snorted. "I couldn't think about you like that, kunoichi." He ruffled her hair, which made her frown. "You're like my little sister."

"You had a sister?"

"Hell no." Kisame answered back readily. "I was speaking metaphorically."

"Wow, that was a big word. Do you know what it means, Kisame?"

Kisame let out a loud laugh. "You're going to make this trip interesting, kunoichi." He continued to travel alongside her, as Itachi went ahead of them. "I did have a little brother though."

"Was he blue like you?" Sakura snickered.

"Che." Kisame rolled his eyes. "That was harsh, kunoichi."

Itachi looked back at them, wondering if they had seen him stiffen slightly. Kisame had siblings? He had never told Itachi that before. Itachi supposed that Kisame hadn't trusted him enough. _And he trusts Sakura more?_ He hid a smirk. _I doubt that._

Itachi wondered if Kisame's little brother had been as annoying as his own.

_"Itachi, wait up!" Sasuke panted as he stumbled out the doorway. "Please!"_

_Itachi slowed his steps, looking back at his little brother. His gaze was cool and slightly annoyed as he raised on eyebrow. _What does he want now?_ Itachi resisted the urge to continue walking. He didn't have time for this._

"_What do you want, Sasuke?"_

_Sasuke stared up at his brother, glowing with pride. Itachi's eyes narrowed as he resisted the urge to sigh. _Why do you have to be so annoying, Sasuke? I have more important things to do.

_Sasuke held up his shuriken pack. "Can you help me train?"_

"_I need to train by myself." _Leave me alone, Sasuke. I don't have time for you. _Itachi saw the sad, disappointed look that came across Sasuke's face and he once again had to resist the urge to sigh in annoyance. _

"_Ok…" Sasuke whispered, sniffling. _

"_Why don't you ask father?" _Certainly that fool doesn't have anything else more important to do. It will keep him off of my own back. _Itachi waited for Sasuke's answer._

_Sasuke looked up at, brows furrowed. "Daddy won't help. He's busy. He said to ask you."_

_Itachi gave a small sigh. "He did?" _Of course he did. He lives to make my life a living hell.

"_Hai!" Sasuke grinned at him. "So? Will you?" _

"_Why don't you ask mother?" _She must have time for that small simple thing. She does nothing else anymore. She already gave up her life as shinobi. How foolish.

_Sasuke pouted. "Mother isn't as good as you! I want you to help me!" _

_Itachi stared at Sasuke, feeling his Sharingan itch to come free and shut Sasuke up. He had more important things to deal with at the moment. He supposed he wasn't going to get it done, however._

"_Very well." Itachi began walking again. "Let's go."_

"_Really?" Sasuke's face broke into one big, happy smile as he hurried after him. "Right!" He held his shuriken pack close to him. "Thanks! I'll do good, I promise!"_

"_Hn." Itachi didn't look back, though he heard the small, hurried footsteps that told him Sasuke was behind him. _It doesn't matter how good you get, you'll never amount to anything, Sasuke. You're weak. If you don't learn that soon, you'll always be weak.

_Sasuke grinned, humming a small tune as he came up beside Itachi._

_Itachi gave him a small glance, before his eyes narrowed and he looked ahead, not letting Sasuke see the small smile the appeared on his face. _Soon Sasuke. Soon you'll have to become strong. I'll make sure you learn that lesson.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

Sasuke blinked, seeing the scene change.

_"Itachi! How could you!" he stared at the lifeless bodies of his parents. "Nononononono!" He knelt next to them. "What did you do!?" _They're only sleeping Sasuke! Itachi wouldn't kill them, they're only sleeping…only sleeping…

_"How could you?" Sasuke continued cry, looking up at his brother. "Itachi…"_

_"Shut up." Itachi said softly. "Run away little brother. Like the weakling you are."_

No! I'm not weak! I'm going to become strong like you! Don't oh please don't! _Sasuke continued crying. _Oh please stop Itachi. I'm _scared_…_Sasuke took a step backwards, seeing the strange Sharingan in Itachi's eyes. _

_"What's wrong with your eyes?" Sasuke took another step backwards, his own eyes wide. _Stay away from me! Go away! You're scaring me! _He clenched his own eyes closed, pinching himself. _Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

_He heard Itachi move and his eyes shot open. "Stay away! I don't want to die!" He shot backwards, tripping over his own feet as he rushed out of the house. Away, he had to get away. Maybe if he did then it would all be ok._

Mommy…daddy…why?_ He brushed the tears from his eyes as he continued running through the compound. _Why did he do it? How could he have done it? He loves me. He loves you…_why_?

_He tripped over a small rock, falling on the ground in a sobbing, senseless heap. He pushed himself up with his arms, still crying. He brushed the tears from his eyes, and wiped the dirt from his nose as he looked up—and froze._

Big brother…

_Itachi stood there, his face impassive. "You were too weak to kill."_

…please don't do this. I love you.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

Itachi ignored Kisame and Sakura's friendly banter as he kept his eyes on the dark forest ahead of him that was slowly encompassing them all.

_"Itachi! How could you!" Sasuke stared at the lifeless bodies of his parents. "Nononononono!" He knelt next to them. "What did you do!?" _

_"How could you?" Sasuke continued cry, looking up at his brother. "Itachi…"_

_"Shut up." Itachi said softly. _You little fool. What did you think was happening? Why do you look so surprised?_ "Run away little brother. Like the weakling you are."_

_Sasuke continued crying. He took a step backwards, seeing the strange Sharingan in Itachi's eyes. _

_"What's wrong with your eyes?" Sasuke took another step backwards, his own eyes wide. He clenched his eyes closed, pinching himself. _

_Itachi watched his brother cringe in fear, and all that shown in his eyes was disgust. _You're just like father. Whining and afraid to the end. He couldn't even _die_ like a shinobi._ Itachi made to step forwards, his hand on his katana. _I should finish you off, Sasuke, so that the world will not have to deal with such weakness.

_Sasuke heard Itachi move and his eyes shot open. "Stay away! I don't want to die!" He shot backwards, tripping over his own feet as he rushed out of the house._

_Itachi watched him go, calmly following behind him. _There is no sense in running. There's no one left here. They've all died. Like they should have done long ago.

_Sasuke tripped over a small rock, falling on the ground in a sobbing, senseless heap. He pushed himself up with his arms, still crying. He brushed the tears from his eyes, and wiped the dirt from his nose as he looked up—and froze._

_Itachi looked down at Sasuke, who stared up at him, his eyes filled with fear._

Little brother…

_Itachi stood there, his face impassive. "You were took weak to kill." _

…How pathetic.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

_Sasuke opened his eyes wearily, looking up at the large, luminous moon. _How pretty…_He thought, his eyes filling with tears. _Look mommy. Look at the moon. It's so _beautiful_.

_He tried to open his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Tears clouded his vision as he looked passed the moon, at the one, lone star that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere._

Big brother…how could you? I loved you. You killed them, didn't you? You did all of this. I wanted to be just like you.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

_Itachi surveyed the scene, looking at the aftermath. He decided not to spare it a second glance as he began walking out of the compound. _

Don't get up little brother. If you do, I'll kill you.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

_I wanted to be strong…_

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

_You were weak._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

_I wanted your courage._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

_You were afraid._

_**

* * *

The Avenger**_

_Now you're just like me, just like this star. Alone._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

_This is the only way you can become strong enough to fight me. Alone._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

_I'll never forgive you._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

_If you forgive me, then you truly are weak._

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Avenger**_

"Sasuke?" Naruto yawned, looking at his friend sleepily. His eyes widened, "Oi! I fell asleep didn't I? I'm so sorry!"  
Sasuke looked back at his best friend, shaken from his revelry. "It's nothing." He turned to look back at the stars. The second one…he hadn't paid much attention to that star lately.

The star that had appeared the night he'd left Sakura for Sound. Yet it too shone down on him as a reminder. Instead of bright crimson, his eyes saw tear-stained jade.

_Dammit Sakura!_ Sasuke silently cursed her. _I'm doing the best I can! You have no idea what I've been through. You have no idea, and yet you sit there…asking me to stay…how could you do it? You knew that killing Itachi was the only thing that mattered to me. I told you long ago. Why can't you see that!_

He blinked, coming back to reality, as he realized that Naruto was talking to him.

"We should probably trade with Hinata and Neji now." Naruto mumbled. "Though I guess I should stay up too, since I fell asleep."

"They won't mind. Just go to sleep." Sasuke bit out.

Naruto looked worriedly at his friend. "Right." He shook Hinata's shoulder softly. "Hinata-chan?"

"N-nani?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"We're switching guard duty."

Hinata yawned, nodding at him. "Alright N-Naruto-kun. You go to sleep now. I'll w-watch."

Naruto got a guilty look on his face, but he merely nodded as he closed his eyes and went to bed.

"Get up Hyuga." Sasuke called blandly from where he stood.

Neji opened his eyes. "I was awake."

Sasuke merely sat down on the couch as Neji stood. Neji went to the window, while Hinata went to guard by the door, the place that had supposedly been Naruto's post.

Sasuke began drifting off to sleep. As he did so, the thing that caught his eye was the one star he had been trying to ignore. Once again, it showered him with emerald tears. _Stop it Sakura…_he ordered furiously. _I'm getting you back now. Isn't that enough for you!??!  
_But he knew it wasn't. He had left her. Even after he saved her and killed Itachi…he'd have to reach across the distance he had created between himself and Sakura. It was his doing. He would have to fix it.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The Killer**_

"Itachi, how much further until we bunk down?" Kisame asked as he landed on the ground beside him. "The kunoichi is losing strength." He whispered the last part. Itachi looked back to see Sakura lean against a tree trunk, nursing her sore leg. She had healed it completely after a quick meal, but the soreness and pain still remained.

"Hn."

Kisame raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He gave a small sigh. "Come on little kitten, we're going a bit further."

"Little kitten?" Sakura frowned. "What's that, my new nickname or something?"

"Hai." Kisame grinned. "It fits, ne? You look like one, and you are as weak as one at the moment."

Sakura frowned. "Ha. Ha. I suppose it's better than _kunoichi_." She decided she didn't have time to argue logic with him. She continued trying to rub the soreness out of her leg. She winced as it cramped and pain shot up her thigh. She tried to ignore it, as well as the tears that she furiously blinked away. _That's smarts._

"Let's get going." Itachi jumped ahead of them, disappearing into the shadows of the forest.

Sakura gave a loud sigh as she propped herself up against the tree for support.

Kisame watched her pitiful state and gave a loud, annoyed sigh. _I'm getting too soft. _"Come on little kitten." He pointed to his back.

"Excuse me?" Sakura stared at him, as if not comprehending. _He's definitely still drunk. He has to be. Why is Kisame acting _brotherly

"Well?" Kisame stared back at her. "I'm not going to stand here forever."

Sakura gave a small smile, as well as a sigh as she walked over to him, letting him boost her onto his back. She heard him give a small grunt. "I'm not _that_ heavy!" She exclaimed with a smile, unable to frown as Kisame began running through the trees to catch up with Itachi.

_He doesn't like to show it, but he really is sweet!_ She managed to suppress a delighted laugh. _I wouldn't have known he had it in him._

Another thought came to mind and she gave a laugh, unable to control herself. Apparently she shook a little too much, as Kisame looked back at her. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Sakura let out another laugh. "I was just thinking: how many other people can say they've gotten a piggy-back ride from an Akatsuki member?"

Kisame joined in her laughter as the sped through the trees. "No one, kitten. You're a one of a kind."

"Hey." Sakura retorted, "_I'm_ not the one with the blue skin."

When they caught up with Itachi, he and Kisame shared a glance. Itachi's eyes were narrowed, and the crimson Sharingan looked him over, as if summing him up for the first time.

"Hn."

_Well, if you hadn't made us continue, then she wouldn't be in this predicament._ Kisame thought to himself. _Man, I need a drink; I'm starting to _care He shook his head with a sigh.

_A big one._

* * *

Deidara and Sasori hurried through the trees silently, landing at the border of Stone. Sasori was surveying the land, looking for any enemy shinobi. Deidara merely stretched with a lazy smile.

"I'll be glad to get home, yeah." _And to see Sakura, of course._

"Indeed." Sasori nodded. He shot one glance of Deidara and sighed. _He's thinking about her again. _He gave a final sweep of his surroundings. _He's so easy to read, he doesn't even know it. It's rather pathetic._

"Do you think she'll be waiting for us when we get there, yeah?" Deidara asked as he, too, surveyed the area for enemy shinobi. "That would be a wonderful welcome home, ne?"

Sasori gave another sigh. "You're doing it again."

Deidara frowned. "Don't act so priggish, Sasori-san."

"Don't act so childish Deidara-san."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Whatever, yeah." He placed his hat back on his head, pulling his cloak further around him. Hopefully they could get through Stone as soon as possible, and then he'd be able to see Sakura again. _I need to make sure she's ok, yeah. We'll have a lot to talk about._

Whether Deidara knew it or not, Sasori was also looking forward to seeing the young pink-haired kunoichi again. He was desperately in need of someone to have a sophisticated conversation with—someone that would actually talk, unlike Itachi.

_Besides…_Sasori thought as they skimmed through the trees. _I need to speak with Haruno-san about the position I have requested for her. Perhaps if she stays, it will keep Deidara from whining so much._

"I hope she knows she can make herself comfortable at my house even though I'm not there, yeah."

Sasori gave another small sigh. "If she doesn't, we both know Kisame will." _I don't think anything will keep his mind off of Sakura. Then again, here I am, thinking about her as well._

_What has she done to us all? _Sasori looked from Deidara to himself, as well as thought about Itachi and Kisame. _She's made us all change, hasn't she? _

_I still haven't figured if it's for better or for worse._

He gave a small smile. _I'll find out when I see her again. At least I won't act like a complete, lovesick fool like Deidara…he's pathetic._

Another thought came to his mind. _He's also dead if Itachi still feels for Haruno-san like he used to. _Whether Itachi knew it or not, some of his emotions _were_ readable, at least by Sasori. Even if Itachi tried to hide it, Sasori knew that something was bubbling beneath the surface where Sakura Haruno was concerned.

He wondered if it had broken free in their absence.

* * *

Shikamaru gave a loud, relieved sigh as they stopped for the night, just inside the Stone border. Kiba gave a loud yawn. "Alright, let's hit the sack!" He flopped onto the ground, Akamaru only a second behind him.

Ino, who was listening to a story that Atsuko was telling her, leaned against a tree trunk, motioning for Atsuko to come closer. He crawled into her lap and she held him close as she too, fell asleep, Atsuko still chatting away excitedly.

Shikamaru gave a small laugh. _I didn't think I'd ever see the day that Ino cared about someone like that. She's practically adopted him. I wonder what her parents will think._

Kankuro gave a loud sigh. "I guess this means you and I are staying up for guard duty, Shikamaru."

"Right." Shikamaru nodded, frowning. "Man, what a drag." He tried to forget about how wonderful sleep sounded at the moment.

"What's our plan, Shikamaru?" Kankuro sat down beside him, handing him a small energy bar, which he took gratefully. "When we reach Deidara's home in Stone, that is."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "I've come up with a few ideas."

"And they _are_?"

"Nothing tangible at the moment." Shikamaru muttered. "Besides, they aren't really that important if we don't make it to Stone."

"Yeah."

Shikamaru tried to ignore the way Kankuro watched him curiously, as if waiting for him to continue. The truth was Shikamaru wasn't too sure any of his plans would succeed even if they _did_ make it to Stone before the Akatsuki left and disappeared forever.

It wasn't often that he ran out of moves. But it happened.

_Shikamaru and Sakura sat opposite each other, a shogi board between them. Neither of them moved. The silence stretched on._

_Their collective audience, which consisted of Asuma, Kurenai, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, and Choji, watched in rapt attention. However, it had gotten too boring for a few of them and Ino, Kiba, and Choji were playing with Akamaru, throwing a stick for him to fetch. _

_It was a normal spring morning for them. Sakura was finished training with Tsunade and Shikamaru didn't have any missions, and neither did Asuma's team or Kurenai's. They always seemed to drift over to Shikamaru's front porch, where the shogi table was conveniently placed._

"_You're twitching again, Shikamaru." Sakura murmured with a smile. "Stuck?"_

_Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Hardly, Sakura." However, he made no move to do anything at all as he continued surveying the board._

"_Just asking." Sakura said offhandedly as Shikamaru placed his fingers on a piece. Sakura sucked in her breath, making a small tsking sound. _

_Shikamaru's brows furrowed as he looked down at the piece, then the fifty-three scenarios he had developed that could come from his moving it. Nothing had seemed wrong before. What did Sakura see that he didn't?_

"_Are you going to move, Shikamaru?" Asuma grinned. _

_Shikamaru sighed, "Don't rush me. Man, you're all so troublesome." He placed his fingertips together, getting into his 'tactics' pose once more. He closed his eyes and thought. His brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't see what Sakura was seeing! What did she know that he didn't?_

_Ino, Choji, and Kiba all turned to look at the two of them, noticing the tension. _

_Tenten, Lee, and Neji walked by the Nara compound at that moment, looking inside and seeing everyone. _

"_Hey! Shikamaru and Sakura are having another shogi match." Tenten grinned. "Come on, let's go watch."_

"_I am rooting for Sakura-san!" Lee announced as he and the other two walked inside. _

_Neji said nothing, but gave a small sigh as he sat down on the porch. _

_Shikamaru frowned. "Since when did I invite you into my house?"_

"_They're not in your house, Shikamaru. They're on your porch." Ino corrected him with a grin. "So just make your move already and stop stalling."_

"_I'm not stalling."_

"_Then go."_

_Shikamaru stared down at the board once more. He touched the piece again, looking at Sakura's face for any reaction. She gave a small sigh, as well as a tiny shake of her head as if to say, 'if you make that move you'll lose, Shikamaru'. _

_Shikamaru frowned, before picking up another piece and playing it. _

_Sakura burst into a hearty smile, picking up one of her pieces and daintily putting it in its place. "I win."_

"_Nani?" Shikamaru looked down at the board, and sure enough, she had._

_Asuma, Choji, and Ino collectively cheered. "It's about time someone beat Shikamaru!"_

"_Who is the great tactician now, eh?" Kiba snickered. _

"_Congratulations, Haruno-san." Neji nodded at her. _

"_I knew Sakura-san would be victorious! I did not for a moment doubt in her skills!" Lee announced._

_Sakura gave a small smile, before looking to see Shikamaru watching her in confusion. _

"_What did you see that I didn't?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_That face you made." Shikamaru frowned. "You knew that if I made that move I'd lose."_

_Sakura grinned at him. "Nah. If you had made that move, you probably would have won."_

"_What?" Shikamaru stared at her, then back down at the board. Sure enough, the only way that Sakura had won was because of the one mistake he'd made. The one move where he had doubted himself._

"_HA! She beat you at your own game, Shikamaru!" Choji grinned. _

"_I'm never going to let you live this down, Shikamaru." Asuma smiled. He turned to Sakura. "And I'm taking this little lady out to lunch. Anyone who can do that deserves a gold medal."_

"_Hey, we wanna come!" Choji, Ino, Lee, and Kiba chorused._

"_Let's all go then." Kurenai suggested. "It'll be a good diversion for us all."_

"_To the Ichiraku Ramen stand!" Choji pointed. _

"_We're not going to eat ramen again. We had that yesterday." Ino argued. _

"_I _like _ramen." Kiba supplied. _

_All of the others walked ahead of Shikamaru and Sakura, arguing about what to eat. _

_Shikamaru gave a loud sigh and Sakura looked at him quizzically. _

"_Don't be a sore loser, Shikamaru. That was a once in a lifetime shot."_

"_Nah." Shikamaru shook his head. "That's not true, Sakura. You're good at making people doubt their moves."_

"_Oh?"_

_Shikamaru smiled. "Hai. Thanks for keeping me humble, Sakura."_

"_I'll be glad to kick your ass at shogi any day." Sakura grinned, slinging her arm around his shoulders. "Though I doubt it'll ever happen again."_

_Shikamaru chuckled softly. "Don't doubt yourself or your abilities, Sakura. I did, and look what happened."_

"_You're starting to sound like an old man, Shikamaru." Sakura warned teasingly. _

_Shikamaru sigh, "Che. Women. And I thought you were different. You're still troublesome."_

_Sakura steered him towards the others, laughing. _

Shikamaru looked out across the forest. He couldn't doubt his plans. He had to remain strong and confident. The moment he let indecision in was the moment this mission really failed.

"Hey Shikamaru, get some sleep. You need some if you're going to think of a plan." Kankuro supplied, grinning at him. "Besides, Temari will have my head if I don't take care of you."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He leaned against the trunk of the large tree, closing his eyes. "Just wake me when you need me to take over."

"I will."

**(A/N: How did you like it? If you're wondering how I got you this chapter to you so quickly, here's the reason: my family's car is completely broken down. We live in the middle of the countryside. I'm completely stranded. I have nothing else to do but write. Of course, I don't mind. I got a lot in. **

**More Sakura and Itachi moments in the next chapter, hopefully. Who is just waiting for the big confrontation? After all, everyone is heading to one place. All Roads Lead to Stone, so to speak. (Wow I just butchered that horribly).**

**Ok, so here's your quote:**

**If you and your friend are being chased by a grizzly bear, don't worry about out-running the bear, just worry about out-running your friend.**

**Thanks for all of your reviews, once again. I love you all!**

**Lady Hanaka, your loyal fanfic writing servant.**

**P.S. Maybe a _moment_ between Sakura and Itachi? Who knows? An actual, steamy, sexy moment. Whew! I'm already sweating.)**


	22. Chapter 21: If You Could Have, Would You

**Chapter 21**

**If your Could Have, Would You?**

"Orochimaru-sama…" One of the Sound Jônin began nervously. "Our shinobi we sent to retrieve the scroll have not returned."

"Of course they didn't, you fool." Orochimaru snapped. He wished he could clench his hands, but he merely glared at the Jônin captain in front of him. "I did not expect them to succeed."

"But then…why did you send them, sir?"

"Don't question me!" Orochimaru hissed.

The sound Jônin present all took a few steps back. Orochimaru's skin had taken on an even sicker, paler skin tone. They all knew his arms were becoming exceedingly painful without Kabuto's medical attentions. None of them voiced this aloud, however.

Orochimaru saw them all staring, and he narrowed his eyes. "You are dismissed."

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." All of the Jônin hurriedly left the room.

Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, wincing as his arms shot daggers of pain through his body. He let out a loud growl. _Why _did_ I send those Jônin?_

He bent over in pain on his chair; thankful he had sent his Jônin out when he did. No one except Kabuto had ever seen him like this. He gave a few shaky breaths as he tried to recover some of his usual, cold demeanor. It was slow in coming.

_Because I damn well had to feel as if I were doing something. _

_That damn Tomokazu._

* * *

Sakura tightened her hold unconsciously around Kisame's neck as he made a large leap.

"Are you trying to choke me, kitten?"

Sakura ignored the jibe, as she looked ahead at Itachi's solemn figure. He seemed so distant in that moment, so apart from herself and Kisame. How had it happened? True, he had never been kind or friendly, and he had rarely talked to her at all. But rarely was better than never.

She felt as if she had done something wrong.

_But then again, everything in my life is awry. Everything I _do_ is wrong._ She thought to herself as she gave a small sigh. She didn't even pay attention as Kisame continued to talk.

"You could take out the entire Akatsuki that way, you know. Pretend you're getting a piggy-back ride and then _accidentally_ strangle them."

Sakura let Kisame's jokes become background noise as she stared ahead once more. She wondered how she had gotten so close with Kisame. Or better yet, with any of the members of the Akatsuki.

Once again, she felt as if she were betraying her friends, as well as Konoha. _Why does this have to happen to me?_ She silently wondered. _My entire life has been hell, from the moment Sasuke left till I was captured. Why does this one moment of happiness, when I actually feel like I belong, have to be so wrong?_

Is_ it wrong?_

Of course it was. They were all murderers.

So was she.

_Birds of a feather flock together._ She murmured ruefully to herself. _I suppose it fits then. I've been trying to talk myself into hating them, and it just backfires worse each time. I can't help it. They're funny. I mean, I've never been able to joke like I do with Kisame except with Ino. _

_I've never been able to confess my thoughts to anyone before like I do with Deidara except with Naruto and Neji. _

_I've never been able to have smart, heated discussions like with Sasori except with Shikamaru. _

_And I've never felt so out of wack and unsure of myself like I am with Itachi…except with Sasuke._

Sakura gave a small sigh, getting a full wif of Kisame's scent. Miraculously, he didn't smell like fish. It was a clean, sharp, clean scent of water and soap. _My, my, he actually bathes._ She thought with a laugh. _Well, I mean I _knew_ he splashed water on himself. _Thoughts of the time she had stolen his conditioner bottle came to mind. _But I didn't know he actually scrubbed. Good for him. I didn't want to have to beat good hygiene into him._

Her thoughts were so confusing, so jumbled up in her mind, screaming for her to organize them and fit each of them into their perfect, ordered place. But Sakura didn't have time to do that. New thoughts were coming, pushing back the old ones before she could make sense of anything. She was horribly and irrevocably confused.

_If I could change one thing that ever happened, what would it be?_ Sakura thought to herself as they continued rushing through the trees. _Just one thing. If I could turn back time for just a moment. _

_Would I stop Sasuke from leaving me? No. I wasn't strong enough. I still wouldn't have been. Even if I had fought. Unless I had my strength like I do now, it wouldn't matter. He'd still be gone and I would still be here. _

_Would I stop myself from going on that scroll retrieval mission, so I would never meet up with the Akatsuki? No. If I did so, my team would have begun to doubt me. It was such a simple mission. Besides, what if, down the road a bit further, we had met them? What if this time I had died, or one of my teammates had? I would never forgive myself._

_Would I keep Naruto from leaving me as well? If I had, maybe we could have grown closer, and he could have saved me before I was captured. But no. If I had made him stay, I would have only broken his heart. Sasuke was his best friend. It would have felt like I was betraying him. _

_Would I have gone back in time and stopped Itachi from ever murdering the Uchiha Clan? If I had, Sasuke would never have become an avenger. He would have never left me and all of this would have never happened. But…then I wouldn't be here. _

She blinked, looking around at her surroundings. She felt Kisame's Akatsuki cloak flutter around her in the slight breeze. _I would have never met any of them. That would be horrible, to live my life without ever knowing that these men are actually human. I would have continued hating them._

_…I would have continued living in ignorance. _

_But then again, ignorance is bliss. What if I had been told to kill them? To kill Deidara? Could I do it?_

_If all it took to change all of this was to kill Deidara or one of my other friends, could I?_

_No._

_**'Protecting and fighting for someone who is precious to you, that is true strength, what makes you a true shinobi.'** _Haku has said those words, as well as Naruto. It had become his shinobi way, to protect and make sure his friends were safe. If so…she supposed it had to be _her_ shinobi way as well.

Sakura gave a small smile as she shifted her hold on Kisame's neck—which allowed him room to breathe.

_If I could turn back time…_

_…I wouldn't._

* * *

"Shikamaru…" Ino panted. "Do you have any idea where Deidara's home _is_?"

"Why do you ask?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as they zipped through the trees.

Kiba came up beside them, panting. "Oh, I don't know. Just a silly question. Sorry." His sarcasm was lessened as he took in a deep breath.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll get there." _Just be confident, Shikamaru._ He looked at the large, miles of stone ahead of them.

_I'd be more confident if Stone wasn't so big._

"I wish we could find a clue that would take us there." Ino groaned. "I'm tired of going from one place to another. It's annoying after a while."

"We should be close." Shikamaru murmured. "I can feel it."

"Oh?" Kankuro raised one eyebrow. "Do you have some special ability we don't know about?" He grinned as he waited for Shikamaru's most assuredly laconic retort.

"Yes."

"What is it?" Atsuko asked, his face expectant. "Come on, tell!"

"A brain." Shikamaru smirked.

"Funny." Kankuro answered back sarcastically. "Very funny."

"Is that supposed to mean something, Shikamaru?" Kiba narrowed his eyes.

"He just proved his point, baka." Ino muttered under her breath, though the others heard it. Everyone gave a small smile as they continued running.

"What does he mean, o-neesan?" Atsuko asked Ino.

Ino smiled down at him. "Nothing, Atsuko-chan. Don't pay these grumps any attention."

"Ok!" Atsuko was satisfied with that. He rubbed Akamaru's head from where he sat on his back. Akamaru gave a happy, contented yip.

"Hey! Pay attention to where you're going, Akamaru." Kiba warned with a frown. "Don't get distracted." His eyes narrowed at Atsuko as he muttered under his breath, "I bet that's the whole point of it. Atsuko's really a spy working for Orochimaru, sent to distract us with his irresistible cuteness so we won't pay attention when his Sound shinobi attack!"  
"Kiba…we can all hear you." Kankuro said offhandedly.

"Why would Orochimaru make a plan as stupid as that?" Ino snapped. "You're the only idiot who would think that."

"Idiot…or maniacal genius?" Kiba raised one eyebrow with a grin. "I guess you'll never know."

"An idiot, most assuredly." Kankuro answered back. Kiba was about to lunge for him when Shikamaru gave a loud, annoyed sigh.

"Calm down will you?" _I bet Gaara chose these people to go with me on purpose. He's punishing me for getting Temari hurt. Well, great job Gaara. It's working. What a drag…_

"If you were an Akatsuki member, where would you build your secret base?" Kankuro mused aloud. "Away from the head village, because everyone there is looking for him. Hm, away from any village really, but close enough to one where they can get food."

"Women." Kiba supplied. "A place that has women close by."

"Why?" Atsuko asked innocently.

"Because men like to—" Kiba began, before he had to dodge a kunai that Ino threw at him.

"No reason, Atsuko-chan." Ino crooned, before shooting a menacing glare at Kiba.

"Does he like to play with them?" Atsuko looked confused, before a smile crossed his face. "I like to play with girls too! Like Sakura-sama. She taught me a game, wanna play?"

"Yeah." Kiba snickered. "He _plays_ with them all right."

"You're being immature and stupid, Kiba." Ino snapped.

"When is he not?" Kankuro questioned aloud.

Ino turned back to Atsuko. "So, Atsuko-chan, what game did Sakura teach you?"

"It's called I Spy." Atsuko grinned childishly. "You know how to play?"

"Yeah." Ino nodded. "I know how to play. Me and Sakura used to play all the time when we were little."

"You're the same age as Sakura-sama?" Atsuko got a surprised look on his face. "Wow! Are you guys friends?"

"Uh-huh." Ino nodded. "We're friends."

"Oooooo." Atsuko's mouth resembled a perfect o. "So you guys were ninja together?"

"Yep."

Atsuko got a cute, thoughtful look on his face. "So you're a kunoichi too, huh? Are you as good as Sakura-sama?"

"Uh…" Ino began. "Of course I am!"

"Che. She wishes." Kiba said from behind them. Ino shot him a dirty look.

"Can you summon bugs?" Atsuko questioned.

"Uh. No. That's _Shino_, not Ino."

"Sakura-sama can summon bugs." Atsuko defended.

"Oh, you mean slugs. Yeah, Sakura summons slugs. I can't." Ino answered back quickly. "I own a flower shop. Do you like flowers?"

"Yeah!" Atsuko nodded enthusiastically. "They're all different colors. I used to like red ones best, but now I like pink ones better, 'cause they're like Sakura-sama's hair and red ones scare me."

"Why?" Ino's brows furrowed.

"Because red is a bad color." Atsuko frowned. "Bad stuff is red."

"Like what?" Kankuro asked.

"Like blood." Atsuko answered back. "And clouds, and the scary man's Sharingan."

"Oh." Ino nodded. "You mean Itachi Uchiha?"

"No. The other one. Sasuke."

Ino looked at him, surprised. "Was he really that scary when he was at Sound?"

Atsuko nodded back, eyes wide. "He was _mean_."

"Oh." Ino murmured, wondering what the reunion would be like, when they met up with Sasuke's group. She hoped it went well. Of course at the moment they didn't even know where Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, and Neji were.

* * *

Lee dodged an assault of kunai from Tenten, flipping in the air to the avid cheers and gasps of the little Sand academy students. He couldn't help but grin boyishly as he landed on the ground, throwing his own kunai.

Tenten dodged them as well, but didn't have time to go for Lee as more kunai came from Choji and Shino.

Lee grinned. _I guess this is a free for all!_ He couldn't help but feel excitement bubble in his chest.

"Watch them, children." Temari called from where she sat in a chair against the wall of the training grounds, the children around her and Gaara. "When you're in the middle of battle its hard to tell who is your ally and who is your enemy. You have to always be thinking and concentrating."

"Who is on whose team here, Temari-dono?" One of the children asked.

Temari raised an eyebrow. "To hell if I know—I mean, I don't think there are any teams here. This is everyone versus everyone."

"I bet Lee-sensei will win!" One of the kids called out.

"Nuh-uh, Tenten-sensei will!"

"No, Shino-sensei!"

"You're all wrong. Choji-sensei will win!"

Temari smiled as she continued to watch the battle, calling out praises as well as advice as kunai filled the air, as well as shuriken, kikai—and in Choji's case, potato chips as his pack flew open from a rogue kunai and spilled all of its contents.

Lee stepped to the right, grabbing Tenten's arm and throwing her through the air. She gave a small yelp of surprise before flipping in the air and landing on her feet. "Where'd you learn that one?"

Lee grinned. "Why, Sakura-san of course!"

_"So this is where you train, Lee?" Sakura walked into the small clearing looking around. "It's nice."_

_"Hai!" Lee nodded as he continued doing pushups._

_He heard Sakura come up beside him, and her sandals came into his line of sight. "Yes, Sakura-san?"_

_"Why are you here alone?"_

_"Well, Neji and Tenten are on a mission with Choji and Hinata, and Gai-sensei is on a special, secret mission with Kakashi."_

_"Oh." Sakura nodded. "Well, you can't train very well alone."_

_"Yes I can!"_

_Sakura gave a grin. "Come on, I wanna train."_

_"But Sakura-san!" Lee jumped off of the ground, landing on his feet. "If I fought against you…I would not want to hurt you."_

_Sakura raised on eyebrow. "What makes you think you _could_?"_

_"Well…" Lee's brows furrowed. "I am faster than you."_

_"I've been working on my speed." Sakura frowned. "And Tsunade has been teaching me her Taijutsu style. Don't underestimate me, Lee. Besides, I want your help with something."_

_"What is it?" Lee asked as he got into a fighting stance after he finished stretching. Sakura did so as well, getting into a stance that he did think looked strange on her. It was very familiar but he couldn't quite remember where he had seen it before._

_Sakura lunged forward, surprising Lee with her speed. He just barely dodged, feeling her fingers graze his clothing. "I want your help training."_

_"Nani?" Lee looked up as he did a roundhouse kick, Sakura blocking it with her arm before grabbing his leg and throwing him across the clearing. He watched her in dazed surprise as he landed. _Since when has Sakura-san become so strong?

_Sakura was suddenly beside him, jabbing his arm with three fingers in five different places. He felt it go numb and looked down in surprise. _

_"Don't get side-tracked, Lee." Sakura smiled. _

_"What is this?"_

_"A pressure point. Neji said it would work against you easily." Sakura laughed cheerfully. _

_And suddenly, Sakura's fighting stance was all too familiar._

_Lee frowned. _She asked _Neji_ for help in training?_ He got back into a fighting stance, ignoring the numbness in his arm. _Why did she not come to me?_ And suddenly it struck him. _

_She just did_.

_Lee smiled to himself, before bowing at Sakura in defeat. "Very well, Sakura-san. I shall help you train." He then got a glint in his eye that made Sakura suddenly regret asking him. _

_"We will begin with five hundred pushups, and then two hundred leg squats!" _

* * *

"We'll stop here." Itachi landed on the ground in a small clearing. Kisame landed beside him, and Sakura slipped off his back slowly.

"Thanks Kisame." Sakura murmured as she rubbed her leg. "Once I get some more food in me, I'll be able to walk by myself again."

"Don't mention it." Kisame pulled out his pack, beginning to set up his small tent. "Hey Kitten, why don't you cook, since you can't really move much anyway?" Kisame grinned.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Alright. But I need to wash my hands first. Is there a stream nearby?"

"Just behind those trees." Itachi answered back. "Come." He motioned for her to follow him. Sakura did so slowly, limping a bit since she hadn't used her leg in a good few hours. It was cramping badly.

Sakura followed Itachi into the darkened forest, rubbing her arms beneath her cloak. It felt so _cold_ even though it was only the normal, crisp night air. Maybe it was the silence that always hung over herself and Itachi when they were alone.

She heard the stream before she saw it. When they came upon it, she gingerly lowered herself to the bank, slipping off her cloak so she didn't get it wet. She then began washing the dirt off of her hands. She wondered if Itachi was going to speak.

Silence.

She gave a small sigh as she cupped water in her now clean hands, splashing her face. The jolt woke her as she blinked and the water droplets fell back in the water, making ripples.

Sakura watched them, as the water spread out in that precise, circular pattern, disturbing the reflections in the water and making them unidentifiable. Slowly the ripples calmed, and a figure slowly began materializing behind her.

The crimson of his Sharingan glittered against the water, in stark contrast to the black of his bangs.

She felt him close behind her, his breath against her neck. Her eyes widened as she continued to watch his reflection, so near hers. She just continued to stare, as his hand came up, tucking a few strands of her hair out of her face. Sakura didn't move an inch.

_And here I thought he was giving me the cold shoulder…_She said to herself. _Well, my shoulder is anything but cold now!_

"Do you like it?"

"Like what?" Sakura tried not to sound breathless as his fingers teased with the collar of her yukata. What was he _thinking_!?

"The outfit."

Sakura swallowed, trying to wet her dry mouth. "H-hai." _I'm starting to stutter like Hinata. Down girl._ "Do you like it?" _That's a stupid question Sakura, of course he does. He got it for you._

"You look better without it."

Sakura's eyes widened as she gave a small gasp. "Itachi…" She felt his lips at her neck and she closed her eyes. _Oh god what am I doing? Oh god what is _he_ doing!??!_

One of his hands slowly skimmed down her chest, tickling her abdomen through the obi as he slowly tucked his fingers in it, loosening it. "It's merely a hindrance."

"I don't…" Sakura didn't even finish as he continued loosening it. The yukata was slowly falling open. She saw a sliver of her own bare, pale skin show through in her reflection in the water.

His hand was slowly tracing the curve of her breast. She jolted at the contact. His hands were warm against her chilly skin. _Oh my god, oh my god…what's happening?_

She breathed in deeply, which only sent her breast more fully into his hand. She bit back a small gasp, feeling his tongue traced her jaw. She threw her head back, closing her eyes.

_I can't stop it…I can't do anything to stop him and I…I don't want to._

_I'm sorry Sasuke…_

_…this is…this is…_

"Itachi, kitten!"

Sakura's eyes flew open as a cold draft brushed passed her.

Suddenly she and Itachi were a good three feet apart as Kisame came through the clearing. Sakura hurriedly closed her yukata, desperately trying to close her kimono with clumsy fingers.

Her face was one large blush. She was glad he couldn't see it in the darkness. However, when she looked down at her reflection, she saw it was very prominent. She cleared her throat slightly, not looking at Kisame as he came up beside Itachi.

"Took you long enough, are you finished?" Kisame asked, completely oblivious.

"Hai." Itachi's voice was completely normal. Cool, calm, and collected.

_How does he do that?_ Sakura thought furiously. _I can't even speak right now!_

"Come on kitten. I need to catch some fish for dinner." Kisame grinned down at her.

Sakura finally found her voice. With Itachi she may have been tongue-tied, but never with the boisterous, sarcastic Kisame. "If you eat it, isn't that cannibalism?"

Kisame let out a laugh. "I'm Akatsuki. I think cannibalism is the least of your worries."

_It's not you I'm afraid of. _Sakura thought to herself. _Then again, it's not Itachi either. I'm afraid of myself. _

_If Kisame hadn't come…what would have happened? Would Itachi and I have…? _Sakura blinked, standing shakily. She ignored the small pain in her leg as she turned to look at Kisame, her face back to normal. "Alright, the stream is all yours."

She didn't meet Itachi's gaze. She felt that if she did, she wouldn't be able to keep herself off of him, which surprised her even more. She headed back to camp, sitting down next to the fire to warm herself.

The fire was nothing compared to the smoldering gaze of Itachi Uchiha that seared through her back, sending chills up her spine.

Sakura hoped the fish was quick in coming.

**(A/N: Whew! Who loved that chapter? Darn Kisame, getting in the way again…sigh…I'm sure all of my readers are mad at you at the moment, you ruined it! Oh well, you just made the sexual tension even WORSE. –Winks and thumbs up-alright Kisame!**

**Ok, so I hoped you all liked it. Next chapter…the big one. The confrontation. The big meeting. The battle royale! Ok, not that big—or is it? You'll all just have to wait, hehehe… I'm so evil sometimes. I really do have a mean streak. **

**Word of Wisdom: If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing.**

**P.S. I don't know how I can thank all of your for your adamant and kind reviews. Well, I've thought of a little payment. I am drawing a picture of Itachi and Sakura and I am putting it in my DeviantArt gallery. My name on there is Lady-Hanaka, figures. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**Lady Hanaka)**


	23. Chapter 22: Pain, Part 1

**Chapter 22**

**Pain: Part 1**

Kakashi landed on the ground near the tree line of a large home in Stone. He rubbed his slightly sore shoulder. Fighting fifteen Grass ANBU had been taxing on him. However, he hadn't had to fight them all. Still, ten was a bit too much, even for Kakashi the copycat ninja.

After all, he couldn't kill any of them. Whether the Grass shinobi knew it or not, he was still their ally.

He could feel four presences inside of the large home, sitting. Waiting. Smaller than what he had expected from Akatsuki…in fact, he knew that they weren't Akatsuki— especially since he heard a loud outcry from inside at that very moment.

"They're never going to come, Sasuke! We should just leave and go find Sakura-san! We're wasting time!"

_Naruto, you idiot. If the Akatsuki were in the area, they'd know you're here now…_ Kakashi thought, eyes narrowed as he leaned back in the trees. He decided he didn't want to get involved at the moment. He had to wait for the Akatsuki to arrive. Then and only then would he attack. He couldn't give away his position now, especially if Naruto had already given _his_ away. He would need the element of surprise.

He merely leaned against the tree, his one Sharingan glowing eerily in the shadows of the growing evening.

He checked his kunai with an efficient hand, running a finger over the sharp edge.

All he had left to do now was wait.

_We're coming for you Sakura-chan. I told you once before I would protect you with my life. That promise still holds. _Kakashi's eyes saddened. _Never will another of my teammates die, Sakura. _

_We'll get you back._

* * *

Deidara gave a loud sigh as he landed in the clearing. "We're home, yeah. Thank god."

Sasori snorted, shrugging. "I suppose so."

Deidara looked around quizzically. "Do you think she's here yet?"

"No. She, Itachi, and Kisame are not here." Sasori answered back, eyes narrowing. _Although we do indeed have visitors._ He caught Deidara's inquisitive gaze and pointed to the house with his eyes, holding up four fingers.

Deidara's eye flashed angrily—the only one visible through his long blonde bangs. His mouth thinned in irritation as he reached into the folds of his cloak. _So, they came for Sakura-chan, did they? _

_They'll get her back over my dead body, yeah!_

Sasori watched Deidara and gave a small shake of his head. Not yet. He merely continued to look around. "Indeed, Deidara, I can almost say I missed this place." _Keep them thinking we haven't noticed them yet. They won't attack until Sakura is here. That gives us a small advantage, since their element of surprise is not so…but we do not know what level of shinobi they are, though I doubt they are very powerful, since their chakra was so easy to distinguish and sense._

_Probably those Konoha ANBU._

Deidara's china blue eye narrowed as he flipped his bangs, something he did when he was irritated. "She had better get here soon, yeah. I haven't shown her the flower gardens yet."

Sasori gave a small, annoyed sigh. "Maybe she doesn't want to see the flower gardens."

"Of course she does. Sakura-chan loves flowers, yeah." Deidara answered back. "I was going to let her pick some if she wanted to."

"What were you going to do, make flower arrangements?"

"We could, yeah." Deidara continued their useless conversation. _Why won't Sasori let me go in now? If we kill them, Sakura-chan won't even have to know they've been here at all._

A small thought came to mind and he gave a small, sad sigh. _But if she ever found out, she'd never forgive me. I wouldn't be able to take that, the condemnation I'd see in her eyes, yeah._

_I'll just have to wait. I have all the time in the world, yeah._

* * *

"Shikamaru…" Ino whispered. "There's someone up ahead!" She quickly got out her kunai, the others only a moment behind her.

Kiba's brows furrowed as Akamaru gave a happy yip. "Akamaru says its nothing bad. Hey wait…it's Kakashi!" He waved at the silver-haired Jônin who was waiting in the shadows. Kakashi put a finger to his lips hurriedly, his gaze serious.

The others landed on the ground beside him.

"What is it?" Kankuro whispered, looking out at the clearing. "Is that…?"

Kakashi nodded silently.

"Alright. This is it." Shikamaru swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "What have you found out, Kakashi?"

"Sasuke and the others are inside."

"What?" Kiba's voice rose, and Ino had to clamp a hand over his mouth. "Shh!"

Kiba nodded, blushing sheepishly. "Sorry."

"That gives us an advantage I hadn't thought of." Shikamaru murmured, trying to go through his plans, hoping to find one that would work. But he was drawing complete blanks; either that or the plans all had a flaw. He couldn't use something that would fail.

_Don't doubt yourself, Shikamaru. If you do, Sakura is as good as dead._

"And Deidara and Sasori are outside, if you hadn't noticed." Kakashi continued.

The others nodded. Atsuko looked up at them from on top of Akamaru's back. He didn't like his new friends' worried expressions. It scared him. He merely clung to Akamaru, who gave him a comforting lick on the hand.

Ino turned to see him fidgeting. "Atsuko, you're going to have to stay here when we go in, alright?"

"Can Akamaru stay with me?"

Ino shook her head. "No, Atsuko. He has to go with Kiba. Listen, there's going to be a fight. But no matter what happens, until one of us tells you otherwise, you stay right here, ok?"

Atsuko nodded. "Ok."

Ino ruffled his hair with a nervous smile, though she tried to hide it. "That's a good boy."

"Three other people are coming through the forest." Kakashi whispered, his gaze on the small bit of forest right in front of the house where he knew they would come out.

"I think one of them is Sakura."

* * *

"They're never going to come, Sasuke! We should just leave and go find Sakura-san! We're wasting time!" Naruto wailed impatiently.

"Silence, Naruto." Neji snapped.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered. "We have to be quiet."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. He huffed softly, looking like a spoiled little child who wasn't allowed to go play outside. He leaned against the wall with a frown.

Hinata fumbled with the sleeve of her jacket. _I wonder…is Sakura is even going to be here? What if Naruto was right and they're miles away? What if we never see her again?_ The thought made tears rush to her eyes, which she blinked away furiously, hoping no one had seen them.

_You have to be strong, Hinata! Sakura is counting on you. You can't back out now. Remember all those times together, all those times when she helped you train and become strong. This is what she was counting on your for! To become strong enough to rescue her!_

Hinata wiped the tears away with a feeble smile that was growing more confident and self-assured with every passing moment.

_Don't worry about me this time, Sakura. I'm here to save you._

Suddenly Sasuke stiffened, pulling away from the window as he motioned for the others to be silent.

Hinata felt two presences just outside the door, and she froze in fear, her chest tightening. She bit her lip as she fumbled in her kunai pack for a knife, her fingers feeling clumsy.

Neji's eyes narrowed before they widened, full of chakra and shining with the Byakugan. He looked through the wall, seeing two figures land. He didn't see Sakura.

It was merely Deidara and Sasori. _Dammit. What if Sakura isn't coming here?_ For a moment panic filled his chest, before he pushed it down forcefully.

_She'll come._

Naruto's eyes widened, before a confident, expectant smile crossed his face. His whole body tensed in excitement. _Sakura!_ He slowly began filling his hand with chakra, manipulating it into his Rasengan, but keeping it minute so the rushing of the wind could not be heard. He caught Neji's approving glance and grinned. _It's time to save you Sakura._

"We're home, yeah. Thank god." Deidara's voice rang out in the clearing.

Sasuke stiffened. Not Sakura. Not Itachi. Sasori and Deidara. His eyes narrowed, the Sharingan burning a bright red. _Just you…_He clenched and unclenched his hand, wanting to begin his Chidori. But if he did, they would be spotted. He couldn't afford for that to happen.

Deidara and Sasori continued their inane conversation.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he listened. It sounded fake. _Do they know…? _He mentally cut off the thought. _Of course not. They would have merely come in here and killed us._

He exchanged glances with Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke. All of them nodded back at him: Hinata fearful yet adamant; Naruto, confident and strong; and Sasuke, angry and powerful.

They were ready.

"Sakura-chan! You're back!" Deidara's voice called out.

_Chan?_ Four voices silently chorused.

* * *

Sasori knew without turning around who was standing behind him. Deidara's face broke out into the biggest, dopiest smile Sasori had ever seen, as his eyes literally glowed. "Sakura-chan! You're back!"  
A small, secretive smile played on Sasori's lips.

_It begins._

* * *

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he looked at the five Akatsuki cloaks that rustled in the wind. One of them sported bubblegum-colored hair.

_Here I am Sakura. _

* * *

Hinata swallowed. _This is it! Be strong!_

* * *

Shikamaru grabbed a kunai. _I have to repay you for saving Temari's life, Sakura. I won't fail. Even if I _don't_ have a plan. _

* * *

Naruto almost jumped with excitement as he heard her name. _I'm going to save you Sakura. Believe it!_

* * *

Kankuro gave a loud sigh. _Let's get it over with._

* * *

Neji's eyes narrowed as he studied Sakura's outline through the wall. _I won't fail this mission Sakura. You're mine and I'm going to get you back._

* * *

Ino clenched her fists as Kiba grinned ferally. Their minds mirrored each other. _Let's go!_

* * *

Sasuke felt Itachi's presence almost immediately as hatred flowed through his blood, heating it. His eyes glowed ominously.

_Today Itachi…you die._

And he charged out the door, his Chidori alight in his hand.

* * *

Sakura gave a cheerful smile as she spotted Deidara and Sasori. "Deidara-kun, Sasori-san. Hi." She made to step forward, but she saw Sasori exchange a look with Kisame and Itachi who were behind her.

Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized there were four other presences she had not noticed before. Her breath left her for a moment as she realized immediately whom they were.

Her heart plummeted to her stomach, yet it stirred with hope at the same time, a mixture of emotions that made her feel sick.

She opened her mouth to give warning as she realized what Itachi and the others were going to do. "No—" She tried to scream out, but Kisame's hand covered her mouth as she was jerked backwards. She immediately put her hands up to rip them off.

_NO! Don't do this! DON'T—_

She shouldn't have worried. For at that moment, the door crashed open, and the air was full of blue chakra as a Sharingan-wielding shinobi rushed out.

_Sasuke._

He lunged at Itachi. "DIE!"

It all seemed to happen so fast, as Sakura continued to stare. Hinata, Neji, and Naruto jumped out of the house, and a multitude of her Konoha friends came from the trees. The Akatsuki had been surrounded.

_Dear god, they're outnumbered_. Was her first thought.

_I have to save them!_ Was her second.

Whether she was talking about Akatsuki or ANBU she didn't know.

All she remembered was that Kisame suddenly let her go and she could breathe again—as Sasuke reached Itachi.

_NO!_

Itachi grabbed Sasuke's hand, easily dodging his Chidori as his knee came up, coming in contact with his stomach. Sasuke let out a choked growl as Itachi picked him up by his neck, throwing him back to where the other Konoha shinobi stood.

Naruto caught him.

There was a long moment of silence as they all merely stared at each other. Naruto spoke first.

"Give us Sakura-chan back and we won't have to hurt you."

Kisame let out a hearty laugh. "Is that supposed to frighten me _boy_?" He made to step forward.

"The Kyuubi is mine." Itachi beat him to it.

At this point in time Sasuke had stood, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "You'll fight _me_, Itachi."

Itachi stared at him coolly. "Don't waste my time little brother."

Sasuke let out a loud growl, but Naruto and Neji held him back, keeping him from attacking.

Sakura merely stared from one group to the other.

_No. Don't attack Naruto. Please don't. I won't let you. _She threw the Akatsuki cloak off as well as the hat. "Stop it!"

"Stay out of this, kitten." Kisame grunted.

"Kitten?" Kakashi whispered.

Sakura breathed in deeply, staring at them all. _Don't. Don't. Don't. Please…_they were all tensing, getting ready for battle.

Kiba and Akamaru snarled as they lunged forward, Ino right behind them. They went straight for Deidara. He watched them coolly, a small smile on his face.

_Don't do it. Don't._

Hinata and Kankuro headed for Sasori, who pulled out his two infamous puppets that resembled his parents. Kankuro had already whipped out his own, and Hinata was in her juken stance, her face determined.

_No. Stop it all of you. You don't have to fight._

Kakashi and Neji went for Kisame. He pulled out his Samehada, a feral grin plastered on his face. "Come on then!"

_Don't hurt them! All of you stop it!_

Sakura felt her knees become weak as she slid to the ground. _This can't be happening. This can't be happening._

Naruto was charging at Itachi, his Rasengan swirling in his hand like a miniature hurricane. His eyes glowed red, like the nine-tailed fox. Red chakra flooded across his body, streaming to the ground.

_Don't do it Naruto, it's you he wants. Just leave. Please._

Hinata yelped as she was thrown backwards, slamming her shoulder into the ground. One of Sasori's puppet lunged, but Kankuro's cut if off before it could attack. Hinata shakily stood, her lower lip trembling as she rushed back to help Kankuro.

_When did you get so strong, Hinata? Don't do it. You don't have to prove yourself. You can go. You can run away. It's ok._

Kakashi's lightening blade disappeared as he came too close to Kisame's chakra draining sword. He flipped backwards, throwing a barrage of kunai. Kisame dodged, but he landed inside of Neji's pentagrams.

_Don't hurt him! Stop it Neji!_

Neji shot forward, going for his master killing stroke. He landed it perfectly, and gave a smile as Kisame let out a choked growl.

"NO!" Sakura screamed out.

Suddenly water rushed up Neji's hand from Kisame, and Neji blinked. It was a water clone. He jumped backwards, trying to avoid the water as best as he could as it reached and transformed into two outstretched, clawed hands.

There was a large explosion and Sakura saw Akamaru tumble to the ground, his fur singed as he yelped. Ino and Kiba jumped to the sides, narrowly avoiding the blast.

_No Deidara. Don't do it. Stop. Please. For me…do it for me…stop…_

Naruto let out a loud snarl of pain as a kunai found its way into his shoulder. He ripped it out with another growl, showing off the fox's pointed teeth.

Itachi merely regarded him coolly.

Akamaru and Kiba lunged at Deidara with their _fang over fang jutsu_. Deidara dodged one of them, but Kiba's claws grazed his shoulder. He gripped it, glaring at them as blood speckled the ground.

_Deidara!_

Sasori's Akatsuki cloak flowed around him like water as he dodged Hinata's juken, which she tried to use to go for his heart. He felt Kankuro's puppet come up behind him and he used a sand clone, which landed inside of it, awaiting Kankuro's infamous _puppet theatre jutsu_. But the fourth puppet, one Sakura hadn't seen before, was slowly coming up behind Sasori.

_Sasori!_

Kisame was growling out in anger as he slashed at Kakashi once more, missing. He had a few cuts on his cheek from close encounters with Kakashi and Neji's kunai. He slammed his Samehada through one of Kakashi's shadow clones and it shattered the ground around him—where it became stuck in the earth. He gave another irritated growl as he tried to wrench it free. As he struggled with it, Neji was rushing up behind him.

_Kisame!_

Suddenly Sakura looked up and saw a bright blue Chidori headed straight for the battle between Itachi and Naruto. Itachi was preoccupied with Naruto's demon. He wasn't paying attention.

_Sasuke! Stop!_

_Itachi!_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura screamed out as she rushed forward, tears filling her eyes.

**(A/N: So? The first part of a two parter, the climactic point on this entire story. Who is pumped? We're all just lucky Tomokazu isn't here. Geeze _that_ would screw everything up. **

**Who will Sakura choose, Sasuke or Itachi?**

**The big question will be answered…**

**…in the next chapter.**

**:) buh-bye! (I'd better say good-bye now, since you're all going to kill me for this.)**

**Lady Hanaka, your evil cliffhanger queen.**

**Quote: It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal the neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.**

**See ya in the next chapter: Part Two)**


	24. Chapter 23: Pain, Part 2

**Chapter 22**

**Pain: Part Two**

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sakura screamed out as she rushed forward, tears filling her eyes. She didn't think. She merely reacted. All of her instincts screamed at her to stop, to let him kill Itachi and be free.

But something more powerful bade her otherwise.

Sakura didn't know exactly how it happened, only that she was grabbing Sasuke's hand, feeling the Chidori burn her skin as she stopped him in his tracks. As soon as he realized it was her, he stopped.

"Sakura! What are you doing?" His voice was harsh. Cold.

_Saving him, Sasuke._

Sakura breathed in deeply, her heart beating a million times a minute. "Sasuke, stop."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke ground out. "I have to kill him Sakura. He did this to me. I have to make him pay."

Sakura shook her head, her tears showering the ground. "No Sasuke…don't."

"What is this…?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Why are you stopping me?"

"It isn't worth it Sasuke." Sakura whispered. "Just please, don't."

"He killed my clan. He murdered my _parents_, Sakura!" Sasuke called out, his voice catching on the last word. "He deserves to die."

Sakura merely continued shaking her head. "No…no…"

Sasuke stared at her, as if he couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying. "Get out of my way, Sakura."

Sakura bit her lip. _Don't do it Sakura. Don't let him win. Don't…stop…_

"It's not worth it." Sakura repeated. "Just let it go Sasuke."

"Let it go?" Sasuke whispered heatedly. "Let it _go_!?"

"Sasuke…" Sakura tried to reason with him. She saw his Sharingan blazing through her tears. "Don't." _I can't let you hurt any of them, Sasuke. They're my friends now. My allies. I have to protect them with my life._

_That's my shinobi way._

_Not even _you_ can come between me and my way of the ninja, Sasuke._

_I've finally found my purpose, I think, and I can't let you take it away._

Sasuke glared at her. "I can't believe I'm hearing this." He hissed. "Get out of my way."

"No."

Sasuke stared at her. "What?"

Sakura breathed in deeply, wiping the tears away. "No, Sasuke." _Don't make me choose between you two. Please…don't make me choose._

"Sakura, If I get rid of him now, we can live the rest of our lives together, like you wanted. Sakura, I can finally love you back."

Sakura looked up at him, eyes wide. _He just…did he?_ Her world began turning and she felt as if for a moment she might faint. _If I went back, he'd love me?_

Sasuke seemed to see that he was turning her to his cause, for he continued. "You can help me Sakura. Together, we can restore my Clan."

Sakura blinked. _Restore your Clan, Sasuke? …is that all I am good for?_ The small warm feeling that had bubbled in her chest was already fading.

Sasuke kept talking. "When I kill him, I can be like I used to be, before I left and went to Orochimaru for power. Everything will be like it used to be."

_Like it used to be…_

…_as if he had turned back time._

Sakura stared at the ground, eyes wide. She heard the sounds of battle all around her but she paid them no attention. Her mind was screaming at her, making her head hurt. Sasuke. Itachi. Love. A Promise. She felt tears leak through her closed eyelids as she clenched them shut to get the sounds out, putting her hands to her ears.

_Be quiet! Stop!_

_Itachi…_

…_Sasuke._

_He'll never love me. He'll only use me…he just wants me to heal his eyes!_

…_as will Sasuke. He only wants you to restore his Clan._

_You don't know that!_

_Then see._

Sakura opened her eyes, staring up at Sasuke. She let her tears dry so that she could look him straight in the face.

"Choose."

"What?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Me or him, Sasuke." Sakura whispered. "Revenge or Love. Choose."

"Sakura, what are you talking about!?" Sasuke snapped out. "You're being stupid. This is completely—"

"Choose goddammit!" Sakura screamed.

"Don't make me Sakura."

_He's stalling…why is he stalling? Why won't he answer?_

"Please Sasuke…" Sakura whispered brokenly. "Choose."

Sasuke stared at her, breathing in deeply. His hands clenched and unclenched.

…

…

…

Sakura could see his jaw tighten.

…

…

…

"…I choose revenge."

Sakura felt her world plummet into darkness. She felt as if she were falling and she couldn't find a way to stop herself. She wondered if she had fainted, or if maybe she had died.

_If I could turn back time, Sasuke…_

…_I wouldn't._

But in a second she was back, looking at Sasuke's perfect, handsome face.

For some reason, he merely looked like an ugly, hideous demon to her now.

_Then I've chosen as well, Sasuke._

"Very well." Sakura whispered, her voice stilted. She braced herself, looking up into his eyes, her own hard. "Then here is my choice, Sasuke Uchiha." She said his name like a curse.

"I will not let you touch him."

"Don't be foolish Sakura." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Stop acting like a self-righteous bitch."

"Excuse me?" Sakura's eyes widened and she tried not to let him see how the words hurt. "What right do you have to call me that?" She bit out.

"Get out of my way."

"No."

Sasuke's eyes glittered, and there was a long moment of silence where all Sakura heard was his ragged breathing, as if he were fighting within himself over a decision.

Then the Chidori began accumulating in his hand.

"I should have known this would happen."

Sakura looked at him in surprise.

"I should have seen that you were just like him. That you'd betray me in the end. Orochimaru told me you would." Sasuke gave a maniacal grin. "He told me you would turn on me, just like Itachi." He gave a small, rueful laugh.

"And yet, I believed you were different…you whore."

Sakura stared at him, eyes wide in pain and hurt. "…Sasuke…how could you say that?" _My god what is he saying? What's happening to him? This isn't Sasuke…this isn't Sasuke…_

"You slept with my brother readily enough." Sasuke snarled.

"How _dare_ you!" Sakura ground out through clenched teeth, feeling angry tears flood her eyes once more. _What's happened to you Sasuke? What has made you turn into this monster? Stop now… please…_

"Get out of my WAY!" Sasuke lunged forward, his Chidori glittering.

Sakura moved to the side, aiming a kick at his stomach. He dodged, his Chidori dissipating as he grabbed a kunai, shooting it at her.

Sakura dodged it through tears. _How could he do this! I love him! WHY!?_

She did a few hand signs, feeling chakra rush to her fingertips. She placed them to her mouth and blew, sending poisonous gas in his direction, not enough to kill, only to paralyze. The haze was completely opaque, and Sakura barely noticed the large fireball until it was right on her, where she could feel its blazing heat.

She jumped backwards, out of the fire's path, sailing through the air. Sasuke threw a barrage of shuriken at her, but she dodged them—until the last waning rays of sunlight caught on the hidden strings—and he pulled.

Sakura felt herself slam against the tree, caught in his technique. She stared at him, eyes wide, tears still rushing down her cheeks.

_Sasuke…don't._

His eyes burned with hatred, making the Sharingan ever more prominent as he charged. Sakura saw the blue chakra envelope his hand, heard the bird-like sound it made. But she continued to stare at him.

_You actually think I have betrayed you, don't you? After all the times I have stood by your side and waited loyally for you to come back to me._

She watched the way the blue light reflected off of his face. A face she had once found breathtaking.

_I wasted my life chasing after you, I became a _shinobi_ for you…and yet, this is how it shall end._

She made no move to get away as she watched him charge towards her.

"You are a traitor to me now, Sakura. Die."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, as a few last tears rolled down her cheeks, and a small, sad smile graced her lips.

_Sasuke…_

"Please…"

* * *

Naruto turned the moment he heard Sasuke yell out—and paled. Sasuke was running towards Sakura, who was tied against the tree. She merely watched him, her face sad and hurt.

_No…not again._

Naruto stared in horror as Sakura made no move to get away, just continued to watch him.

_The dream…oh god no._

"Sasuke! Stop it! Stop it! This is SAKURA! Stop!" Naruto yelled out, but Sasuke wouldn't stop. He continued charging, his Chidori blazing.

"SASUKE!" He felt helpless, desperate tears rush to his eyes as he realized that he wouldn't get there in time to stop it, even if he did run.

The sounds of battle around them seemed to cease.

* * *

Itachi saw the Kyuubi turn to watch the battle between Sasuke and Sakura. Itachi had seen it unfurl slowly.

_He's distracted._ Itachi's eyes narrowed. _Get him now._ But something made him turn to see Sakura, who was merely watching his brother through sad, understanding eyes.

As if she had known this was coming and was awaiting the inevitable.

_Get the Kyuubi._

Itachi, for once in his life, felt indecision flood through him.

_Sakura…will be fine. _An inner voice hissed. Sakura continued to watch Sasuke charge, making no move to try and escape. Itachi saw the glint of steel. There was a kunai in her obi, but she made no move to get it to cut herself free.

What was she doing? Did she wish to die?

"Please…"

_The Kyuubi…can wait._ Itachi's eyes narrowed, as he disappeared.

* * *

Sakura's eyes blurred, and all that she could see was the bright blue of Sasuke's Chidori.

"SASUKE! NO!" She heard multiple voices scream out.

"SAKURA!" That one was Deidara.

The sound of the Chidori rang in her ears and anything else was drowned out. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

_If this must come…then let it come._

_…I hope it brings your comfort, Sasuke. I just want you to know…that I never stopped loving you._ One last tear made its way down her cheek.

The Chidori shrieked, making her eardrums hum.

And then, silence.

Complete and utter silence, as if all the sound in the world had been shut off. Sakura blinked, looking up.

Her eyes saw red.

Clouds.

Sakura's shoulders began shaking as new tears flooded her vision. _Why? Why did you do it? What did you gain?_ Something blossomed inside of her chest, and she felt as if she could breathe again.

_You gained nothing from this, Itachi._

_…what was your reason?_

Itachi glared at his brother, throwing him backwards. He tried not to let the pain the Chidori had caused him show. He glared at him, his own Sharingan glowing.

"Touch her, Sasuke…"

…

…

…

"…and I will kill you."

Sakura blinked, before feeling her entire body go weak as she slumped against the ground, the only thing holding her up being the strings. _It's because of my healing powers, isn't it? It has to be. He just wants me to heal his eyes. He needs me to heal his eyes._ Her mind was trying to sort out all of her thoughts, making them disjointed. Deidara was beside her in an instant, cutting her loose.

She fell to her knees before Deidara could catch her, and she slowly sat up. Shakily she stood.

_Itachi or Sasuke…_

_…betrayal and hate…or change…?_

_Why did you do it Itachi?_

_Why did you save me? I have to know._

Sasuke breathed in deeply. Glaring past Itachi to Sakura.

"You're just like him now Sakura. You…I vow to kill. You betrayed me. You won't do so again."

"Go back home to your mother, _little boy_." Kisame grunted as he and Sasori landed beside them. He then gave a feral grin. "That's right, you don't have one anymore."

Sakura felt Sasuke's words like a physical blow, and they hurt, they hurt worse than anything. She blanched as they seemed to strike her, and her cheeks flooded with color as her eyes filled with angry, hurt tears.

Sasuke let out a snarl as he made to go forward, but Shikamaru appeared, stopping him. The other Konoha shinobi came up beside the two.

Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, and Itachi seemed to form an impenetrable wall around her. Her protectors.

"Kisame…" Sakura shook her head as he looked down at her. "Don't."

Kisame blinked and opened his mouth to retort, but said no more.

"Sakura." It was Shikamaru. She turned to look at him, though she was afraid of the condemnation she would see in his eyes.

Nothing. Nothing but a silent understanding reflected in them.

"Hai, Shikamaru?"

"I just wanted you to know." He said softly. "That Temari is alive."

Sakura stared up at him. "She…she is?"

Shikamaru gave a small smile. "Hai."

Sakura nodded at him. "Thank you, Shikamaru." She whispered softly, after a moment of silence. It was the only thing she could say at the moment. She looked back into his eyes, then into Kakashi's. Once again, silent understanding. She couldn't look at anyone else. Especially not Neji or Naruto. The pain she would see there would be unbearable.

And she already knew what she would see in Sasuke's eyes.

She looked to Itachi. Confident. Sure. Strong. Stable. Maybe he didn't love her, of that she was almost certain. Itachi Uchiha didn't love. But he needed her, if only to heal her eyes.

He needed her for something real and tangible.

That was more than what Sasuke had needed her for.

"Itachi…" Sakura stood shakily, resisting the urge to grab his hand for comfort, because she knew that she didn't need it. Just to stand beside him, that was enough of a comfort for her at the moment.

"Let's go."

The four Akatsuki members looked down at her in surprise, before slowly nodding. Sakura gave one last look at her friends, though once again she didn't meet their eyes. She wanted to say goodbye, but she couldn't, the words stuck in her throat and refused to leave her lips. She knew, however, that this was probably the end. The last time she would see them.

She did not regret.

_If I could turn back time…_She repeated one last time, almost smiling, though she knew it would hurt too much to do so, _…I wouldn't._

Then, as one, she and the four Akatsuki members disappeared.

* * *

There was a long moment of silence as the Konoha shinobi all looked at the base of the tree trunk where Sakura had been standing.

Naruto turned on Sasuke, his face etched in grief and fury. "How _could_ you!?"  
"Naruto…" Shikamaru warned. _I don't need this. _

"What did he do to her?" Neji hissed, glaring at something in the distance. "What did he do?"

"What do you mean, Neji?" Ino asked softly.

"He did something to her. Why else would she go with him?" Neji just couldn't allow himself to believe that Sakura had chosen to go with them by her own free will.

"Neji…" Shikamaru began again.

"He's right." Naruto cut in. "He had to have brainwashed her or something. Maybe he did it with his Mangekou." He knew he was pulling at loose, errant strings of hope but he continued to do so. "Surely it could have happened. I mean…"

Suddenly a quiet voice whispered from behind them. "Where is Sakura-sama?"

All of them turned to look at Atsuko, their faces sad and hurt.

Kakashi finally answered. "Sakura was killed in the battle. I'm sorry Atsuko-chan."

Kiba looked up. "But she didn't—" He was cut off by glares from all of the others.

Shikamaru nodded at Kakashi. This was for the best. This way, no ANBU would be sent to track Sakura down. She wouldn't have to look behind her every five seconds, wondering if someone was going to try and assassinate her. She would have a moderate level of peace.

Even if she had left Konoha for good, she didn't deserve to be put through that.

Besides, Shikamaru had a feeling it would have been himself sent on the mission. He couldn't deal with that.

_I repaid my debt, Sakura._ He nodded in the direction she had gone, and began walking back the opposite way.

"Shikamaru, where are you going?" Kankuro asked.

Shikamaru gave a small laugh. "Me? I'm heading to Sand. Temari's waiting. Then I have to report to Tsunade about Sakura's death." _And Sasuke's attack on Sakura. I'm tempted to say _he's_ the one who killed her._ "After that? Who knows? Temari says I've dragged out our engagement long enough. I guess it's about time we got married. This mission is over."

Everyone slowly nodded.

"Hai."

Naruto looked down at his hands, wanting to do something. He wanted to go find Sakura. He had to. But he knew he couldn't do it alone. And he knew the others wouldn't go with him this time. He felt a hand grab his, and looked down into Hinata's calm, violet eyes.

"Everything w-will be ok, Naruto-k-kun."

Naruto shot a glance at Sasuke, who was still glaring, his Sharingan still present. No… everything would not be ok.

Kakashi blinked a tear from his eyes, feeling sadness overtake him as they began walking home. _I told you once that you needed to find your way, your purpose in life. I guess you did._

_I didn't think it would hurt so much to see you go._

_I don't agree with your decision, Sakura, but I want you to know…I am proud of you for following your shinobi way._

_I just wish you knew how much this affected everyone else._

* * *

They remained silent for Sakura's sake as they headed through the forest. They all pretended not to notice the tears that freely flowed down her cheeks, landing on the ground.

"We're heading to Cloud, yeah." Deidara spoke, his tone cheerful. "We have a base there, where we'll meet up with a few other Akatsuki members, maybe."

Sakura didn't respond. She merely continued running beside him.

_

* * *

_

_You always thought you had no friends, that people didn't really like you._

* * *

Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori exchanged glances. Itachi kept his gaze fixed ahead of them.

"Well kitten, are you sure you're ok to walk? I can carry you if you want." Kisame grinned back at her, but she didn't seem to notice.

Nothing.

_

* * *

_

_You always thought you had no friends, that people didn't really like you._

* * *

"When we get to Cloud Haruno-san, perhaps you can show me that poison gas jutsu of yours? It may come in handy one day, if you will permit me to learn it from you." Sasori began in his calm voice._

* * *

_

_You didn't believe that they could ever truly worry for you if you were hurt. _

* * *

Silence.

…

…

…

"You guys?"

_

* * *

_

_I guess this proves you wrong, Sakura._

* * *

Everyone turned to Sakura. Her voice was cold, dead, sad. But she did not waver as she brushed the last few tears from her eyes._

* * *

_

_From you, the small drop of water, come all these emotions and changes, and you don't even realize it. They push outwards, affecting all of the people close to you, making them feel these painful emotions, and making them change just for you._

* * *

"Thank you."_

* * *

_

_Like a ripple in the pond, Sakura…just like that._

* * *

**End of A Ripple in the Pond**

**(A/N: Now don't bite my head off because it's over! There's a new story, which is the continuation of this one. So calm down everyone. It's kind of hard to end this one, since it's very special to me, but I'm on to bigger and better things. **

**The next story will deal more with Itachi and Sakura's growing relationship. Slow going, but sure. Will Sakura become an Akatsuki member? Will Itachi and Tomokazu ever fight? Will we EVER FIND OUT WHAT IS IN THAT SCROLL!?!? Who knows? …sigh…even though it ended with Sakura going with Itachi, it's still gloomy. Man. I stayed up till three writing the last of this, and I'm all depressed.**

**I suppose this is goodbye for the moment. sobs Oh, I guess I shouldn't cry. After all, I'll probably have the first chapter or so of the next story up in a week or so.**

**I can't believe it's over, actually. I am about as surprised as you guys are that I have updated so quickly. The truth is, I had those first few chapters for months and months and then I finally decided to get an account and place them on, just for the heck of it. And then, the chapters just seemed to flow out of me.**

**It took a lot of time and effort to write them all though.**

**But, I have no regrets. (small smile)**

**Once again, I want to thank all of you for reviewing and loyally sticking through with this story to the very end. I hope to continue to make it just what all of you want in the next story. **

**Story Number Two: Crimson Reflections**

…**not feeling much like a quote, but I'll put one in anyway. I need some levity:**

**If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.**

**Until next time, your loyal servant Lady Hanaka says sayonara.)**


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